President Sargsyan: cooperation with Ukraine among Armenia’s top-priority focuses
17.09.2010,
21:25
Cooperation with Ukraine is among Armenia’s top-priority focuses, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with Profil, Ukrainian weekly.
YEREVAN, September 17. /ARKA/. Cooperation with Ukraine is among Armenia’s top-priority focuses, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with Profil, Ukrainian weekly.
“We consider cooperation with Ukraine in all areas, such as economic, political and humanitarian, among our priorities,” he said. “We have centuries-long relations. We have always been connected with thousands of ties, and today we would like to make up leeway.”
The head of state said that in 1990s, the first years of independence, Armenia had close ties with Ukraine.
“Later, our contacts became rare. But I’m glad that our relations are now developing in due course. I am convinced that we will manage to double or even triple our trade turnover and strengthen our political relations and humanitarian cooperation in the next few years.”
Sargsyan finds the current trade turnover between the two countries not so bad, but he thinks there is room for enlargement.
“If our trade turnover amounts to $300 million, then our capacity is far larger,” the president said.
“Many Ukrainian goods that would be in demand in Armenia and Armenian goods that could be interesting in Ukraine are not available to you and us. It means our governments yet haven’t done whatever necessary. Our intergovernmental commission convenes meetings rarely and our businessmen’s meetings are not so frequent, since we didn’t create political climate for such cooperation.”
Asked what Kiev can contribute to long-term peace and stability in South Caucasus, Sargsyan said that the only way to support peace is a neutral stance and development of economic relations.
“Implementation of large economic projects will enhance Ukraine’s image in our region. Your country has all resources for that,” Sargsyan said in his interview.-0-
“We consider cooperation with Ukraine in all areas, such as economic, political and humanitarian, among our priorities,” he said. “We have centuries-long relations. We have always been connected with thousands of ties, and today we would like to make up leeway.”
The head of state said that in 1990s, the first years of independence, Armenia had close ties with Ukraine.
“Later, our contacts became rare. But I’m glad that our relations are now developing in due course. I am convinced that we will manage to double or even triple our trade turnover and strengthen our political relations and humanitarian cooperation in the next few years.”
Sargsyan finds the current trade turnover between the two countries not so bad, but he thinks there is room for enlargement.
“If our trade turnover amounts to $300 million, then our capacity is far larger,” the president said.
“Many Ukrainian goods that would be in demand in Armenia and Armenian goods that could be interesting in Ukraine are not available to you and us. It means our governments yet haven’t done whatever necessary. Our intergovernmental commission convenes meetings rarely and our businessmen’s meetings are not so frequent, since we didn’t create political climate for such cooperation.”
Asked what Kiev can contribute to long-term peace and stability in South Caucasus, Sargsyan said that the only way to support peace is a neutral stance and development of economic relations.
“Implementation of large economic projects will enhance Ukraine’s image in our region. Your country has all resources for that,” Sargsyan said in his interview.-0-
