Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Shmuel Meirom: Israel is willing to contribute of its experience in

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Shmuel Meirom: Israel is willing to contribute of its experience in

    Shmuel Meirom: Israel is willing to contribute of its experience in
    the field of economy, but it cannot force Israeli business to invest
    in Armenia

    ArmInfo's interview of Ambassador of the State Israel to the Republic
    of Armenia, H.E. Mr. Shmuel Meirom

    by Emmanuil Lazarian

    Thursday, July 24, 14:29

    Israel and Armenia plan to sign an agreement of visa-free regime. At
    what stage are the negotiations now? What is the goal of the
    agreement?

    Agreements for exemption of visas are meant primarily to encourage
    mutual tourism and business in the sense that they enable the citizens
    of the two countries to enjoy an exemption on the visa fee and
    facilitate the entry to the country which is a signatory of the
    agreement. This is also a kind of an expression of friendship between
    the countries.

    Israel and Armenia are about to sign an agreement for exemption of
    official visas for bearers of diplomatic passports only .The next
    stage, so we hope, will be an agreement for exemption of visas for
    bearers of national passports as well, the kind of agreement that
    Israel has with most of the CIS countries.

    You have recently mentioned that the people of Israel are very
    sensitive to the issue of the Armenian Genocide. Will the Israelis,
    the people that survived Holocaust, help bringing the Armenian-Turkish
    relations out of the current stalemate, if an appropriate discussion
    is launched?

    Indeed, as you mentioned, Israelis and Jews in general have a special
    sensitivity to the tragedy that struck the Armenian People. Israel and
    Turkey had in the past a friendly and warm relationship compatible
    with the interests of both sides. In present days these relations are
    colder and both states are represented in each other by diplomats who
    are not ambassadors. So that it is doubtful that Israel can influence
    Turkey's policy. We hope that these relations will improve in the near
    future and then Israel will undoubtedly be in a better position to
    contribute to the betterment of the relations between Turkey and
    Armenia if it is asked to do so.

    Given Armenia's high-level relations with its partner Iran, in Israel
    they are rather cautious about the idea of the North-South
    communications. Will that attitude change with the positive shifts
    that are currently observed in the relations of Iran and the U.S.?

    As long as Iran does not change its policy, and stops supporting
    international terror (such as Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist
    movements) through armaments and money, stops incitement against
    Israel and threatening to destroy it and try to attack its citizens
    over the world and as long as it continues its nuclear program, then
    Israel cannot change its policy. The smiling campaign of President
    Rouhani is not enough. As long as we don't have a qualitative change
    of its policy, we ought to keep the sanctions against Iran and even
    tighten them significantly.

    Israel supports the idea of independent Iraqi Kurdistan. At first
    sight, it is rather a contradictory stand, given the continuous
    Arab-Israeli conflict and Palestine's aspiration for independence.
    Would you explain such stand of Israel?

    I wouldn't draw a parallel between the two things. The Independence of
    Kurdistan is not on the table. But as far as the Israeli-Palestinian
    conflict is concerned, you ought to know that Israel supports the
    creation of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State, but the
    conditions that the Palestinians put before Israel are not acceptable
    and even more so after the Palestinian Authority signed a pact of
    reconciliation with the Hamas terror movement which openly declares
    its aim of annihilating Israel and launches missiles almost on a daily
    basis on Israeli villages and towns.

    What is the reason of such low level of the Armenian-Israeli economic
    and trade relations? Some experts say Israel's economic model can be
    applied also in Armenia. However, there is no information on any
    serious consultations between the two countries in the field. Neither
    there is exchange of experience, specialists, technologies or others.
    Are there any plans to foster the economic cooperation?

    Israel is willing to contribute of its experience in the field of
    economy and finances but it cannot force Israeli business people to
    invest in Armenia in the same way that Armenia cannot oblige Armenian
    business people to make business with Israel. To make business there
    has to be a mutual interest which can be promoted by signing economic
    agreements (such as, customs agreements, prevention of double taxation
    etc...) Negotiations are going on between the two countries to sign an
    agreement on the prevention of double taxation and we already have a
    civil aviation agreement. Soon we will have in Armenia a special day
    on innovation aimed at exposing the Israeli experience in the matter.
    All of this supposed to increase the motivation of business people on
    both sides.

    By the way, in the last two years, there was a sizable increase in the
    number of Israeli tourists visiting Armenia and this is in large part
    due to the invitation of Israeli journalists (initiated by Israel) to
    visit the wonderful tourism sites of Armenia. When back to Israel,
    they wrote several articles on the beauty of the country and this had
    a big in fluence on Israelis to come and visit Armenia. The direct air
    route between the two countries has also contributed to that.

    We hope to see a similar increase in the number of Armenian tourists in Israel.

    Thank you!

    http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=709093A0-131D-11E4-BB4C0EB7C0D2166

Working...
X