My role is to create opportunities; I am opening doors: President Armen Sarkissian spoke of the meetings held in Serbia in his conversation with journalists

“Our dialogue with the President of Serbia started almost one year ago, in Munich where we met,” President Sarkissian said conversing with journalists on the process, meetings, and agreements reached during his official visit to the Republic of Serbia. “For years, we neglected our relations with Serbia. Let’s remember that Serbia and Belgrade used to be the center of this region and will be for years to come.

I am glad that we registered results on the very first day: We agreed with President Vucic that soon citizens of Armenia with ordinary passports will be able to travel to Serbia without visa. This is important because we want to establish in the future economic cooperation between the two countries, develop tourism; it is important that people are able to move freely from one place to another.”

President Sarkissian said that President, Prime Minister, and government of Serbia attach the utmost attention to the IT area. “Being a small country like us, surrounded by different neighbors, they too, understand that the future belongs to new technologies. Thus, cooperation will be quite natural. Let’s keep in mind that Serbia is doing everything to become an EU member,” President Sarkissian noted. According to Armen Sarkissian, we will have a partner country, which is a friend, which is a physical part of Europe and which will tomorrow become a member of the European Union. “On October 25, in Moscow the Prime Minister of Serbia will sign an agreement which will provide a free trade regime in the Eurasian economic system,” President Sarkissian said.

“It is gratifying that it is happening when Armenia is chairing at the EAEU. It opens new opportunities: If we work well, the entry to the Eurasian region for Serbia and the Balkans will be through Armenia. We spoke also of an air communication which will open new routes for tourism. Serbia is a big center of agricultural products, and their produce via our country could be sold in the region.” Over all, according to President Sarkissian, our relations with Serbia are deepening. Responding to the question on the similarity of the Artsakh and Kosovo issues, President Sarkissian said that they are not similar and it is necessary for Armenia and Serbia to be clear on this issue and conduct a proper policy at the international platforms.

“Unless we maintain a daily dialogue, each of us might interpret the issues in its own way, adopt a corresponding decision and vote in different international structures. Our dialogue and a closer cooperation will solve this type of problems,” the President of Armenia said.

“We need to know each other well, communicate a lot, elucidate each other.” Speaking of his visit to the technological park of Belgrade, President Sarkissian said that cooperation in the area of new technologies could be carried out at the level of individual companies. As for the establishment of the relations between Gyumri and Novi Sad, Armen Sarkissian told the journalists that during the meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia, who is from Novi Sad, he proposed that Gyumri and Novi Sad become sister-cities: Novi Sad is an old historical city where the largest Serbian technological centers of Serbia are located.

՞For development, Gyumri needs to have sister-cities all over the world to know that it is not alone and is a part of the world,” President Sarkissian noted. “The proposal was taken very cordially: Before the agreement is signed, representatives of Gyumri City Hall will come to Novi Sad, and from Novi Sad representatives will go to Gyumri. My role is to create opportunities. I am opening doors - doors for our diplomatic relations, for the future economic ties, relations between cities, for tourism. My task is to provide counselling, to assist, but the government, National Assembly, private sector – every structure has its role to play. We together – presidential institute, government, National Assembly, our entire society, we all serve for the prosperity of our country.

My major objective is to make our country prosperous, and I am ready to cooperate with everyone.”