President Armen Sarkissian's working visit to the United Arab Emirates

The President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian arrived in the United Arab Emirates on a working visit.

The UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri met the President of the Republic at the Abu Dhabi International Airport. 

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Within the framework of the working visit of the President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian to the United Arab Emirates, the President's wife Nouneh Sarkissian and the members of the Armenian delegation visited the Sharjah Heritage Institute, met with its Chairman Abdulaziz Almusallam and the organizers of the Sharjah Heritage Days cultural festival.

This year, Armenia, as an honorary guest, will participate in this prestigious annual festival held by the Sharjah Heritage Institute, having a unique opportunity to present the cultural heritage of our country and people.

Sharjah Cultural Heritage Days festival, held since 2003, is considered one of the most famous cultural events organized within the framework of UNESCO World Heritage Days. Every year, a country, invited as an honorary guest, highlights its heritage, craft and art, culture and traditions, becoming pivotal in the festival. The Armenian pavilion will be presented at the festival under the auspices of Mrs. Nօuneհ Sarkissian.

During the meeting with Dr. Abdulaziz Almusallam, the Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, Mrs. Nouneh Sarkissian thanked him for inviting Armenia as an honorary guest of the festival. "It is a great honour for us to be an honorary guest at this prestigious festival in this beautiful country. We greatly appreciate our friendship with the UAE; we hope that this will launch the start of another cultural program between our countries," said Nouneh Sarkissian. - We must show the world once again that Armenia is a beautiful country worth visiting. We think the next step should be to hold days of Arab culture in Armenia."

Mrs. Nouneh Sarkissian noted that the exhibition could travel to other Arab countries, presenting not only the art and traditions of Armenia and the Armenian people but also cultural and scientific-educational institutions, such as the Matenadaran, museums of history, and contemporary art.

Mrs. Nouneh Sarkissian also mentioned Armenia's participation in the festival from the viewpoint of developing tourism, noting that the interest in Armenia, as well as the better knowledge about our country, could stimulate the flow of tourists to Armenia.

Dr. Abdulaziz Almusallam noted with satisfaction that this year, friendly Armenia would be the festival’s honorary guest. "Armenians and Arabs have friendly historical relations. We always have confidence in Armenian culture, traditions, and products. Within the framework of cultural cooperation, we have started these negotiations with the Armenian side and presented Armenia as an honorary guest, he said. -The leadership of Sharjah hosts Armenia with all its cultural directions and heritage.

Armenia's pavilion is in the centre of the exposition; we want it to be a small piece of Armenia. We think it will be very attractive because everyone wants to see the Armenian heritage and history; it will be attractive for the representatives of two hundred different nations living in the UAE."

During the meeting, the representatives of the Armenian and Emirati sides particularly discussed organizational matters related to the preparatory process for Armenia's participation in the festival and the spheres to be presented.

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The President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, who is in the United Arab Emirates on a working visit, met with the Chief Executive Officer of Masdar Company Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi in the capital Abu Dhabi.

They discussed possibilities of developing cooperation in renewable energy, the latest technologies, science, and education at the meeting. Stressing that the investment program for the construction of a 200-megawatt photovoltaic power plant in the field of renewable energy in Armenia with Masdar is the first step of mutually beneficial cooperation, President Sarkissian expressed satisfaction with the agreement reached today on another 200-megawatt power plant. The President noted that carrying out projects of renewable energy in Armenia with a total capacity of 400 MW creates a good basis to expand cooperation and is a significant step to diversify our country's energy system. "I expect that this program will create a basis for long-term cooperation," he said.

President Sarkissian also expressed satisfaction with the effective cooperation of Masdar Company and the State Interest Fund of Armenia in implementing the Ayg-1 program.

The interlocutors also spoke about the opportunities for large-scale investments in the field of wind energy in Armenia.

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During his working visit to the United Arab Emirates, the President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian reached a new agreement with high-ranking UAE officials on expanding cooperation in the field of air communication between the two countries.

According to the agreement, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will soon start operating flights to Yerevan. President Sarkissian said that the new air bridge between the two countries is another important step towards strengthening commercial, economic, and business ties between Armenia and the UAE, which will be a significant impetus, especially for the development of tourism.

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President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, who is on a working visit to the United Arab Emirates, took part in the solemn opening ceremony of the authoritative international forum Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, which took place at the Expo 2020 Dubai World Exhibition Centre in Dubai.

Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, Director General of the World Health Organization Tedros Ghebreyesus, government members of different countries, heads of international organizations and large corporations attended the opening of the forum Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

The ceremony of awarding the Zayed Sustainability Prize took place within the framework of the opening of the international forum Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Health, food, energy, education, and water organizations with innovative and inspiring solutions promoting sustainable development receive the prize.

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week forum, held since 2008, is a global platform that, within the framework of various events and conferences, hosts heads of state and government, politicians, reputable experts, scientists, and businessmen to discuss global challenges and current issues of sustainable development.

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The President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, who is in the United Arab Emirates on a working visit, was hosted in Armenia’s pavilion of the Expo 2020 Dubai World Exhibition Centre.

President Sakissian walked around the pavilion and got acquainted with the expositions. At Expo 2020 Dubai, our country highlights the Ethnotech concept, showing the ethnic features and technological aspirations of Armenia. Lilit Hakobyan, the director of the pavilion, presented information on the exposition, pavilion visits, and business contacts to the President.

The President attached importance to Armenia's participation in this world exhibition, expressing hope that it will give an opportunity not only to establish new business relations but also to become a platform for experience and knowledge exchange.

President of the Republic Sarkissian also visited the pavilion of the United Arab Emirates hosting Expo 2020, got acquainted with the expositions, and made a note in the book of honoured guests.

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The President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, who is in the United Arab Emirates on a working visit, met with the Executive Director of Mubadala Investment Company Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak.

Mubadala Investment Company is a major investment firm that manages a diversified investment portfolio of assets in the United Arab Emirates and abroad. Represented in more than fifty countries, the company mainly operates and invests in high technology, telecommunications, energy, healthcare, real estate, infrastructure, education, and science. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Mubadala manages assets valued at $ 243 billion and has offices in London, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, New York, San Francisco, and Beijing.

President Sarkissian once again expressed his gratitude to Masdar, a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, for its readiness to implement a total of 400 MW renewable energy in Armenia. The President highly appreciated the effective cooperation of Masdar Company and the State Interests Fund of Armenia in implementing the Ayg-1 program.

At the meeting, they discussed the possibilities of making large-scale investments in alternative energy, as well as in other spheres. President Sarkissian noted that Armenia is interested in the possible presence of Emirati companies in other spheres of our country's economy and is ready for long-term cooperation.

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President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, who is on a working visit to the United Arab Emirates, met with Mariam Almheiri, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment.

Minister Almheiri thanked President Sarkissian for his participation in the conferences on sustainable development and climate change, held within the framework of Abu Dabi Sustainability Week. Noting that the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) will be held in the UAE in 2023, she presented several steps her country envisaged to address the need and combat climate change.

President Sarkissian and the Minister discussed issues of expanding the Armenian-Emirati cooperation in several spheres to ensure sustainable development and implement mutually beneficial joint projects.

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The President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, who is in the United Arab Emirates on a working visit, talked with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The President of Armenia and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi discussed issues related to the Armenian-Emirati friendly relations and the ongoing cooperation.

They touched upon the investments between the two countries and the promotion of cooperation in different spheres of the economy, and issues related to the implementation of the agreements reached during President Sarkissian's visit.

During the conversation, they also exchanged views on several regional and international issues.