Third meeting of Armenian-Czech intergovernmental commission held in Yerevan

ArmInfo. Perspectives and  urgent tasks of development of trade, economic and humanitarian ties  between Armenia and the Czech Republic were discussed today in  Yerevan at a meeting of the Armenian-Czech intergovernmental  commission.

As the first deputy minister of economic development and  investments of the RA, co-chairman of the Armenian-Czech  intergovernmental commission Garegin Melkonyan said at the end of the  meeting, the sides noted the priority 10 main areas of interstate  cooperation, some of which will be included in the agenda of the  forthcoming Armenian-Czech business forum in October timed to the  official visit to Armenia of the chairman of the Senate of the  Parliament of the Czech Republic.

Melkonyan stressed that the further development of the Armenian-Czech  trade ties can be facilitated by the more active use of the European  trade regime GSP +, which is available to Armenian producers, and the  connection to Armenia from January 1, 2018 to the European system REX  (Registered Exporter System), which gives Armenian companies a  preferential right to trade. All these regimes provide opportunities  for Czech companies to intensify their investment policy in the  Armenian market by exporting high-tech equipment in the industrial  sector. Therefore, according to him, cooperation in the development  of technological branches of production can become an important area  of cooperation between the countries, and in this regard, the Czech  partners have something to offer their Armenian counterparts. This  includes, among other things, energy economics, especially renewable,  as well as in the production of goods, in agro- processing and in  agriculture. An important area is also cooperation in the transport  field, in the issue of restoring regular direct air communication  between countries. There are points of cooperation and military-  technical sphere. The Czech co-chairman of the intergovernmental  commission, the deputy minister of industry and trade of the Czech  Republic, Vladimir Bartol, also supported his Czech colleague.

The meeting was attended by Ambassador of the Czech Republic to  Armenia Petr Mikyska and Armenian Ambassador to the Czech Republic  Tigran Seyranyan, as well as representatives of the Chamber of  Commerce and Industry of both countries, representatives of relevant  ministries and departments.

To note, in the first six months of the year, Czech exports to  Armenia totaled almost $ 10 million, having increased significantly,  while Armenian imports to the Czech Republic, by contrast, still  barely reach $ 1 million. However, recently Armenia began to ship to  the Czech Republic, except for alcohol (brandy and wine), light  industry products - men's and women's clothing. The Czech Republic  today supplies Armenia with a fairly solid list of products -  turbines, generators, electrical equipment for hydroelectric plants,  cell phones, batteries, medical devices, and of course the famous  Czech glass and beer. There are plans to supply agricultural  machinery in the framework of the state support program for leasing  schemes for its acquisition. According to Ambassador Petr Mikyska,  the export offer of Armenia, calculated for the EU countries, is  still limited in the quantity of quality competitive goods, although  the process, in his opinion, is gradually gaining strength. On the  other hand, Armenian exporters still maintain a high level of costs  associated with transport communications and logistics. The main  thing, Petr Mikyska is sure, the investment climate in Armenia is  seriously changing, lately there has been a significant revival,  representatives of the Czech business have become frequent in the  country, and there are lively consultations on the implementation of  a number of investment projects, in particular, in the field of solar  energy and agricultural production. "We look forward to a  breakthrough. It became easier to work in Armenia. Now it is up to us  to determine the mutual interests," the Ambassador believes.  Following the meeting, the parties signed the protocol.