ArmInfo. In Washington, in the office of the Trade Representative, a meeting was held with respect to the Armenian-American Council on Trade and Investment .
As Armenian Foreign Ministry press service told ArmInfo, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Harutyunyan took part in the meeting. It is noteworthy that this is the second meeting of the Council after its founding in 2015.
From the Armenian side, the meeting was headed by Deputy Minister of Economic Development Hovhannes Azizyan. With American - US Deputy Trade Representative Dan Mulani. On the margins of the meeting, a roundtable discussion with representatives of private companies was also held. As a result of the meeting, the summons of the agenda of the Armenian-American Council was summed up and the directions on which discussions and consultations will be further discussed are specified.
Azizyan and Harutyunyan also held talks with US Deputy Secretary of State for Economic Affairs and Business Manisha Singh. At the meeting, the sides noted with satisfaction the readiness of the parties to increase the volume of trade and investments, touched upon the results of the meeting of the Armenian- American Council on Trade and Investment, as well as priority areas of economic development, such as information technologies, renewable energy, winemaking.
Recall that the framework agreement between Armenia and the US on trade and investment was signed in May 2015 in Washington. According to the document, Armenia and the United States reaffirm their readiness to create favorable conditions for investment and stimulate the development of trade and trade between the two countries. On the basis of the agreement, the Armenian-American Council on Trade and Investment was formed, which meets once a year. The Council is called upon to identify new areas for bilateral investment and trade, work towards their development and eliminate possible obstacles.
According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the foreign trade turnover between Armenia and the USA in 2017 was $ 204.8 million, with an annual growth of 68.2%. In particular, exports increased by 76.5% to $ 68.5 million, and imports - by 64.3% to $ 136.3 million.