Updates
Press releases
11
10, 2010
The Presidents of Armenia and Slovenia took part at the Business Forum
In the framework of his official visit to Armenia, President Danilo Türk visited today Matendaran - the Museum of Ancient Manuscripts. Afterwards, together with President Sargsyan he visited the Union of Armenian Artists where the two Presidents were present at the opening ceremony of the exhibition of the XX century Slovenian architecture.
In the evening, at the Tigran Mets Hall of Armenia Marriott Hotel the Presidents of Armenia and Slovenia took part at the Business Forum. Welcoming the participants of the Forum, the President of Armenia said in particular,
«Mr. President,
Representatives of Business Circles,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I welcome the participants and guests of the Armenian-Slovenian Business Forum. We have already discussed the current stage of the Armenian-Slovenian relations with my colleague President Türk, issues pertinent to economic cooperation and international issues of mutual interest. In our discussions we stressed, in particular, the necessity of invigorating economic ties. Economic cooperation is an important link which will bring our peoples closer and will give a momentum to the development of cooperation in other areas.
This is the first Armenian-Slovenian Business Forum and provides an excellent opportunity to the businesses of our two countries to establish ties and to outline future cooperation. Such forums held regularly could become a serious impetus for the development of our trade and economic relations and establishment of mutually beneficial cooperation for our entrepreneurs.
Today, during the discussions with President Türk, I said that I was disappointed by the fact that there is almost no turnover between our two countries. On the other side, however, it could be our slipup and the result of our failure vis-à-vis our obligations because, unfortunately, only today we have been able to more or less fill the void in the legal field. If there is no legal field and no contacts between the businesses, any turnover is hardly to be expected. Armenia and Slovenia enjoy friendly relations and maintain regular political dialogue. Four important interstate agreements have been signed in the framework of this visit which sets prerequisites for the enhancement of our cooperation.
Especially two of them – the Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Agreement on Economic Cooperation are critical documents for the legal regulation of the economic relations and thus they are also important for your activities. I also view as important the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Armenian Development Agency and the Slovenian Public Agency on Enterprises and Foreign Investments. All of this creates favorable milieu for businesses to feel more protected and confident in their activities and to interact more actively. We will be working toward the expansion of the legal field and creation even more favorable conditions for the development of economic relations.
Armenia has declared on many occasions her adherence to European values and desire to make markets mutually accessible for us and the EU, to foster friendship between our peoples and societies, to create common future and to mutually enrich our cultures. I would like to note that on that direction we have made considerable headway. The negotiations on the Association Agreement have already commenced, works are underway for drafting the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. The Armenia-EU relations have really undergone qualitative changes and are developing dynamically, becoming more structured. I am confident that Slovenia, as a country which successfully passed the road to Eurointegration, can assist us greatly in overcoming hurdles of that same road.
Independent Armenia and independent Slovenia inherited versatile science intensive economic structures. Armenia can offer a mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of information technologies, agriculture, light industry, jewelry making, tourism, energy, pharmaceuticals and chemical production.
After independence, Slovenia has been showing impressive economic growth and thanks to its positive dynamics among the new members of EU Your country occupies leading position and belongs to the group of the countries with high standard of living. Taking into this factor into consideration, as well as financial and economic capacities of Slovenia, we attach great importance to the Slovenian investments into the Armenian economy.
Esteemed Representative of Business Circles,
I think, you will agree that economic interest more than ever has become a decisive factor in the bilateral agenda of the countries. There are multiple examples in the modern world when economic ties unite even countries and peoples which have historical disagreements. I believe in this case there is no need to discuss the importance of developing economic relations between friendly countries such as Armenia and Slovenia, which at the same time are part of the same system of values.
I am hopeful that business ties, which have been established between the entrepreneurs of our countries and which will be established also thanks to this Forum, will make a strong foundation for increasing the turnover between our countries, for the development and implementation of joint economic programs. I am pleased and happy that this Forum is taking place in Yerevan.”
In their remarks addressed to the entrepreneurs of the two countries, Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Danilo Türk stressed the importance of enhancing relations between the business circles of Armenia and Slovenia and expressed readiness to support every mutually beneficial project.
In the evening, at the Tigran Mets Hall of Armenia Marriott Hotel the Presidents of Armenia and Slovenia took part at the Business Forum. Welcoming the participants of the Forum, the President of Armenia said in particular,
«Mr. President,
Representatives of Business Circles,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I welcome the participants and guests of the Armenian-Slovenian Business Forum. We have already discussed the current stage of the Armenian-Slovenian relations with my colleague President Türk, issues pertinent to economic cooperation and international issues of mutual interest. In our discussions we stressed, in particular, the necessity of invigorating economic ties. Economic cooperation is an important link which will bring our peoples closer and will give a momentum to the development of cooperation in other areas.
This is the first Armenian-Slovenian Business Forum and provides an excellent opportunity to the businesses of our two countries to establish ties and to outline future cooperation. Such forums held regularly could become a serious impetus for the development of our trade and economic relations and establishment of mutually beneficial cooperation for our entrepreneurs.
Today, during the discussions with President Türk, I said that I was disappointed by the fact that there is almost no turnover between our two countries. On the other side, however, it could be our slipup and the result of our failure vis-à-vis our obligations because, unfortunately, only today we have been able to more or less fill the void in the legal field. If there is no legal field and no contacts between the businesses, any turnover is hardly to be expected. Armenia and Slovenia enjoy friendly relations and maintain regular political dialogue. Four important interstate agreements have been signed in the framework of this visit which sets prerequisites for the enhancement of our cooperation.
Especially two of them – the Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Agreement on Economic Cooperation are critical documents for the legal regulation of the economic relations and thus they are also important for your activities. I also view as important the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Armenian Development Agency and the Slovenian Public Agency on Enterprises and Foreign Investments. All of this creates favorable milieu for businesses to feel more protected and confident in their activities and to interact more actively. We will be working toward the expansion of the legal field and creation even more favorable conditions for the development of economic relations.
Armenia has declared on many occasions her adherence to European values and desire to make markets mutually accessible for us and the EU, to foster friendship between our peoples and societies, to create common future and to mutually enrich our cultures. I would like to note that on that direction we have made considerable headway. The negotiations on the Association Agreement have already commenced, works are underway for drafting the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. The Armenia-EU relations have really undergone qualitative changes and are developing dynamically, becoming more structured. I am confident that Slovenia, as a country which successfully passed the road to Eurointegration, can assist us greatly in overcoming hurdles of that same road.
Independent Armenia and independent Slovenia inherited versatile science intensive economic structures. Armenia can offer a mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of information technologies, agriculture, light industry, jewelry making, tourism, energy, pharmaceuticals and chemical production.
After independence, Slovenia has been showing impressive economic growth and thanks to its positive dynamics among the new members of EU Your country occupies leading position and belongs to the group of the countries with high standard of living. Taking into this factor into consideration, as well as financial and economic capacities of Slovenia, we attach great importance to the Slovenian investments into the Armenian economy.
Esteemed Representative of Business Circles,
I think, you will agree that economic interest more than ever has become a decisive factor in the bilateral agenda of the countries. There are multiple examples in the modern world when economic ties unite even countries and peoples which have historical disagreements. I believe in this case there is no need to discuss the importance of developing economic relations between friendly countries such as Armenia and Slovenia, which at the same time are part of the same system of values.
I am hopeful that business ties, which have been established between the entrepreneurs of our countries and which will be established also thanks to this Forum, will make a strong foundation for increasing the turnover between our countries, for the development and implementation of joint economic programs. I am pleased and happy that this Forum is taking place in Yerevan.”
In their remarks addressed to the entrepreneurs of the two countries, Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Danilo Türk stressed the importance of enhancing relations between the business circles of Armenia and Slovenia and expressed readiness to support every mutually beneficial project.