Wednesday, 18 June 2014
PM Welcomes German KFW Bank, International Cooperation Company Representatives
Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan received German Ambassador to Armenia Reiner Morell, KfW Director and Senior Vice President for Europe and Asia Roland Siller and German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) Country Director Dagmar Bott.
Stressing the need to further develop and strengthen bilateral relations, the Prime Minister noted that the cooperation with Germany has a special place on our country’s foreign policy agenda.
“The government of Armenia will do everything to expand our economic and political relations,” Hovik Abrahamyan said. The Prime Minister thanked the German side for sizeable technical and financial support extended to Armenia since independence.
Pleased with the current pace of cooperation, Ambassador Rainer Morell expressed readiness to make additional efforts to implement new joint projects in different areas of activity. The interlocutors discussed a broad range of issues concerning bilateral cooperation.
In particular, as they referred to the KFW-supported Kaps reservoir construction project, the parties expressed the hope that a relevant loan agreement might be signed this September to enable the realization of this important to our country project. According to Hovik Abrahamyan, reservoir-building is a government priority, and 4 other reservoirs are due to be developed over the next couple of years.
The Prime Minister and the KFW Director highlighted the construction of the Armenian-Georgian 400 kV power transmission line with the KFW Bank’s support. At the same time, Hovik Abrahamyan expressed the hope that new projects might be implemented in the housing and SME sectors through the joint effort of the Central Bank of Armenia and the KFW.
The parties went on to discuss energy, infrastructure, agriculture and community development-related programs, which are expected to enter a practical stage following this fall’s meeting of the Armenian-German intergovernmental commission.
Talks are underway toward accrediting the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) in Armenia that will contribute to the implementation of new joint programs.
