FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND UAE SIGN MEMORANDUM OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

Noyan Tapan
Dec 7, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Dr. Anwar Gargash signed a mutual
understanding memorandum of cooperation on the fight against human
trafficking. The memorandum was signed in Yerevan on December 5. It
envisages in particular cooperation between the two appropriate
bodies of the two countries – the UAE National Committee to Combat
Human Trafficking and the RA Commission on Human Trafficking Issues.

During the press conference following the document’s signing,
the Armenian foreign minister described the negotiations between
him and his counterpart regarding bilateral relations, regional and
international issues as "quite substantial". According to him, both
sides underlined the fact that the bilateral contacts have become
more active: this is the third visit by a delegation composed of
high-ranking officials of UAE to Armenia this year. E. Nalbandian
announced that a delegation of representatives of large companies will
arrive in Armenia from UAE soon in order to discuss the opportunities
of making investments and implementing various joint projects in
Armenia.

In the words of Dr. A. Gargash who heads the UAE body to fight human
trafficking, like more than 100 countries, UAE has a problem of human
trafficking and attaches great importance to the fight against it. UAE
has adopted a national strategic concept on the fight aganist human
trafficking, as well as a "stringent law to combat trafficking". He
pointed out the importance of cooperation with other states in this
issue. Dr. A. Gargash called the relations between Armenia and UAE
excellent, but at the same time he stressed the necessity to develop
bilater political and economic links, including investment making. He
said that during the negotiations with his Armenian counterpart, he
expressed UAE’s support for the Armenian-Turkish normalization and the
peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict within international law.