YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Armenia and Japan have real opportunities to bring their bilateral relations at a new level, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Monday as he received visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.
Kono arrived in Yerevan on Sunday on an official three-day visit during which he also met with his Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and President Armen Sarkissian.
Pashinyan described the diplomatic relations between the two countries as “efficient and dynamically growing.” At the same time, he pointed out the existing potential particularly for stimulating economic ties.
According to the Armenian prime minister’s official website, Pashinyan spoke about the new political and economic situation in Armenia and the reforms that are being carried out in the country, in particular, the anti-corruption campaign, efforts to improve the environment for investments and entrepreneurship.
Minister Kono reportedly welcomed the democratic changes taking place in Armenia and expressed readiness to assist the government in that process. The top Japanese diplomat agreed about the presence of a great potential for developing and deepening relations between Japan and Armenia in different areas. He said he visited the Tumo center for creative technologies in Yerevan and was “impressed by Armenia’s education model for the field of technologies.”
“Tumo is one of the places where we can also work together. We are ready to discuss prospects of deepening our cooperation in the economic sphere,” he said.
Within the context of developing economic ties the two officials attached importance to the signing and ratification of an agreement between the Armenian and Japanese governments on liberalization, encouragement and protection of investments. Among possible fields where Yerevan and Tokyo can develop their cooperation Pashinyan singled out information technologies and hi-tech, tourism, infrastructure and innovations.
The Japanese foreign minister welcomed the offer of the Armenian prime minister, expressing willingness to discuss steps in this direction. Both officials stressed the need to hold culture days of the two countries in Armenia and Japan and also attached importance to the development of inter-parliamentary relations. The two agreed to form a joint agenda and actively work to realize it.
Prime Minister Pashinyan and Minister Kono also exchanged views on current regional and international issues. The head of the Armenian government said he highly appreciated Japan’s “balanced position in the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”
During an earlier joint press conference today Japanese Foreign Minister Kono and Mnatsakanyan also said that the two countries will, in particular, seek to cooperate in the fields of innovations and information technologies.
Source: Asbarez
Link: Armenia, Japan to Step Up Cooperation