VISIT OF CHINESE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER TO ARMENIA AND VISIT OF ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO CHINA ENVISAGED IN 2009

Noyan Tapan

Dec 17, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The deputy foreign minister of
Armenia, co-chairman of the Armenian-Chinese intergovernmental
commission Gegham Gharibjanian, who is a member of the Armenian
official delegation headed by the RA National Assembly speaker Hovik
Abrahamian, met with the deputy foreign minister of China Li Hui on
December 16. The Armenian delegation is on a visit to China.

According to the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the
meeting the sides attached importance to the dynamic development
of Armenian-Chinese relations, one evidence of which is the visit
of the speaker of the RA National Assembly to China. It was stated
that China has always viewed Armenia as a friendly country and a
reliable partner. The sides discussed a number of issues of bilateral
interest, in particilar, economic cooperation of the two countries,
the provision of technical assistance to Armenia by China, China’s
participation in the Armenia-Iran railway construction project,
and the work of the Armenian-Chinese intergovernmental commission.

G. Gharibjanian said that after his visit to China during the 2008
Beijing Olympic Games, the Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan has
repeatedly underlined the importance of developing relations with
China, considering it as a priority of Armenia’s foreign policy. The
necessity to encourage contacts and consultations between the foreign
ministries of the two countries was pointed out in this connection. The
sides reached an agreement on organizing a visit of Mr. Li Hui to
Armenia in the first half of 2009, which will be followed by an
official visit of the Armenian foreign minister to China.