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ARMENIAN PRESIDENT VISITS GEORGIA
Civil Georgia, Georgia
June 19 2014
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 19 Jun.'14 / 01:41
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Armenian President, Serzh Sargsyan, held talks with the Georgian
leadership in Tbilisi on June 18 to discuss consequences as Yerevan
prepares for joining Russian-led economic bloc and Tbilisi plans to
sign free trade treaty with the EU next week.
After the talks both the Georgian and Armenian officials were saying
that the two countries should work closely in order to avoid setbacks
in bilateral trade and economic cooperation and to turn "different
paths" chosen by the two countries into new opportunity for Georgian
and Armenian businesses.
"Let me reaffirm our huge desire and readiness to work with you in
the spirit of friendship and mutual understanding. This visit to
Georgia is immensely important for us... We have a broad range of
issues and we will definitely be able to identify new perspectives
of our mutually beneficial cooperation," the Armenian President said
after talks with his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Margvelashvili.
"Of course Armenia's participation in the integration processes
taking place in the Eurasian region was touched upon," President
Sargsyan said.
"We have presented to our Georgian colleagues efforts that have already
been undertaken in this regard and further programs, in particular
prospects for mutually beneficial economic cooperation with Georgia,"
he said.
"I am deeply convinced that by signing the Association Agreement [with
the EU] on June 27 and by becoming part of the free trade agreement
[with the EU], Georgia is creating an opportunity for those Armenian
businesses, which consider being part of the European market, to
invest in Georgia, and vice-versa - after Armenia joins the Customs
Union perspective will be opening for those Georgian businessmen who
have or may have [access] to the Russian market or markets of other
members of the Customs Union," the Armenian President said.
Margvelashvili, referring to Sargsyan as a "close friend", said that
timing of this meeting between the Georgian and Armenian Presidents
is "especial important" in the light of Georgia's upcoming signing
of the Association Agreement with the EU and Armenia's intention to
join the Customs Union.
"We stress that these steps will have positive results for the future
of our countries," the Georgian President said. "We have the same
views on this and all the other issues."
Also on June 18, the Armenian President met speaker of the Georgian
Parliament, Davit Usupashvili, and other senior lawmakers. The Armenian
delegation, led by the President, also includes several MPs.
"We have chosen to follow different paths of development," the Georgian
parliament speaker said after the meeting.
"We have decided to sign the Association Agreement with the EU
and Armenia has decided to join another union together with Russia,
Kazakhstan and Belarus. We have agreed that we understand each other's
choice, we understand reasons, prerequisites of reasons behind our
choices and it strengthens need for deepening our bilateral relations.
We have agreed that Georgia and Armenia should work hard in order
to avoid harming bilateral relations by presence in different trade
unions, on the contrary we should work to improve these ties. We have
to take special measures for this purpose," Usupashvili said.
He also said that parliamentary delegations, including lawmakers
from sectoral committees, will exchange visits "in order to better
understand what kind of changes in respect of trade and business
will follow after Armenia joins the Eurasian Union, and for Armenia
to better understand what is changing in Georgia."
"That is essential in order to have problem-free economic relations,"
Usupashvili said.
"We should turn these different paths not into a mean of distancing
from each other, but into [possibility] of strengthening our ties. We
both understand very well that without each other we won't be able
to maintain our security and stability," the Georgian parliament
speaker said.
Speaking after the meeting with his Georgian counterpart, President
Sargsyan said that "constant strengthening of Armenian-Georgian
partnership represents one of Armenian foreign policy priorities."
"Existing fragile stability and peace in the South Caucasus region
is largely due to productive and strong cooperation between Armenia
and Georgia. We have always been respecting each other's decisions,"
Sargsyan said.
"In the context of regional security, we have noted importance of
productive cooperation on the international forums, maintaining of
balanced and constructive position on the issues, which are sensitive
for each of us. This is very important issue. Together with the
Georgian President we are of the same opinion, that comprehensive
resolution of all the conflicts is possible solely through peaceful
means in line with the principles of international law," the Armenian
President said.
Civil Georgia, Georgia
June 19 2014
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 19 Jun.'14 / 01:41
Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on favorites More Sharing
Services Share on email
Armenian President, Serzh Sargsyan, held talks with the Georgian
leadership in Tbilisi on June 18 to discuss consequences as Yerevan
prepares for joining Russian-led economic bloc and Tbilisi plans to
sign free trade treaty with the EU next week.
After the talks both the Georgian and Armenian officials were saying
that the two countries should work closely in order to avoid setbacks
in bilateral trade and economic cooperation and to turn "different
paths" chosen by the two countries into new opportunity for Georgian
and Armenian businesses.
"Let me reaffirm our huge desire and readiness to work with you in
the spirit of friendship and mutual understanding. This visit to
Georgia is immensely important for us... We have a broad range of
issues and we will definitely be able to identify new perspectives
of our mutually beneficial cooperation," the Armenian President said
after talks with his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Margvelashvili.
"Of course Armenia's participation in the integration processes
taking place in the Eurasian region was touched upon," President
Sargsyan said.
"We have presented to our Georgian colleagues efforts that have already
been undertaken in this regard and further programs, in particular
prospects for mutually beneficial economic cooperation with Georgia,"
he said.
"I am deeply convinced that by signing the Association Agreement [with
the EU] on June 27 and by becoming part of the free trade agreement
[with the EU], Georgia is creating an opportunity for those Armenian
businesses, which consider being part of the European market, to
invest in Georgia, and vice-versa - after Armenia joins the Customs
Union perspective will be opening for those Georgian businessmen who
have or may have [access] to the Russian market or markets of other
members of the Customs Union," the Armenian President said.
Margvelashvili, referring to Sargsyan as a "close friend", said that
timing of this meeting between the Georgian and Armenian Presidents
is "especial important" in the light of Georgia's upcoming signing
of the Association Agreement with the EU and Armenia's intention to
join the Customs Union.
"We stress that these steps will have positive results for the future
of our countries," the Georgian President said. "We have the same
views on this and all the other issues."
Also on June 18, the Armenian President met speaker of the Georgian
Parliament, Davit Usupashvili, and other senior lawmakers. The Armenian
delegation, led by the President, also includes several MPs.
"We have chosen to follow different paths of development," the Georgian
parliament speaker said after the meeting.
"We have decided to sign the Association Agreement with the EU
and Armenia has decided to join another union together with Russia,
Kazakhstan and Belarus. We have agreed that we understand each other's
choice, we understand reasons, prerequisites of reasons behind our
choices and it strengthens need for deepening our bilateral relations.
We have agreed that Georgia and Armenia should work hard in order
to avoid harming bilateral relations by presence in different trade
unions, on the contrary we should work to improve these ties. We have
to take special measures for this purpose," Usupashvili said.
He also said that parliamentary delegations, including lawmakers
from sectoral committees, will exchange visits "in order to better
understand what kind of changes in respect of trade and business
will follow after Armenia joins the Eurasian Union, and for Armenia
to better understand what is changing in Georgia."
"That is essential in order to have problem-free economic relations,"
Usupashvili said.
"We should turn these different paths not into a mean of distancing
from each other, but into [possibility] of strengthening our ties. We
both understand very well that without each other we won't be able
to maintain our security and stability," the Georgian parliament
speaker said.
Speaking after the meeting with his Georgian counterpart, President
Sargsyan said that "constant strengthening of Armenian-Georgian
partnership represents one of Armenian foreign policy priorities."
"Existing fragile stability and peace in the South Caucasus region
is largely due to productive and strong cooperation between Armenia
and Georgia. We have always been respecting each other's decisions,"
Sargsyan said.
"In the context of regional security, we have noted importance of
productive cooperation on the international forums, maintaining of
balanced and constructive position on the issues, which are sensitive
for each of us. This is very important issue. Together with the
Georgian President we are of the same opinion, that comprehensive
resolution of all the conflicts is possible solely through peaceful
means in line with the principles of international law," the Armenian
President said.