Monday, 12 March 2018
RA Prime Minister’s Official Visit to Lebanon Kicks Off: Karen Karapetyan and Saad Hariri Discuss Prospects of Bilateral Economic Cooperation
Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan arrived in Lebanon on a two-day official visit. After the official welcoming ceremony at the Beirut International Airport, the Armenian Prime Minister’s delegation headed for the Office of Government, where Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan met with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
The private meeting between the Armenian and Lebanese Prime Ministers was followed by the expanded meeting of the governmental delegations of the two countries.
Karen Karapetyan thanked his counterpart for the invitation to visit Lebanon and the warm welcome. Touching on the possibilities for developing bilateral economic relations, Prime Minister Karapetyan said, “Lebanese companies can use our platform to access the broader markets, taking into account Armenia’s EAEU membership, as well as the free economic zone on the border with Iran, and the GSP trade regime with the European Union. In general, it is just the right time to come to Armenia and make investments in our country.”
The Prime Minister presented his government’s steps aimed at improving Armenia’s business environment. The Premier also suggested considering the possibility of establishing joint ventures in light industry, jewelry, pharmaceutics and agriculture.
Stressing the importance of developing multifaceted relationships with Armenia, Saad Hariri noted that either Lebanon is a good place for investment, particularly in infrastructure, including through public-private partnership.
As they discussed the ongoing cooperation in agriculture, information technologies, tourism and culture, the Armenian and Lebanese Prime Ministers expressed willingness to expand the interactions through joint efforts.
Karen Karapetyan suggested considering the idea of setting up an Armenian-Lebanese investment fund to finance joint projects and assured of the Armenian side’s readiness to share its experience in the field of solar energy.
The Premier invited his Lebanese counterpart to visit Armenia, noting that the Armenian-Lebanese intergovernmental commission could meet on the margins of the visit to discuss the above mentioned issues and outline new directions of cooperation. The head of the Armenian government highlighted the important role of Lebanon’s Armenian community in the furtherance and strengthening of bilateral relations.
At the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan made a note in the Golden Book of Honorary Guests.
