ArmInfo.After a long break of 8 years, a meeting of the Armenian-Ukrainian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation was held in Armenia, within the framework of which an extensive protocol was signed on cooperation in a number of areas, including trade and economic, agricultural, social, educational, scientific, digital, etc.
From the Armenian side, the document was signed by Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan, from the Ukrainian side - by Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Maryna Lazebna.
"Today is a significant day for Armenia and Ukraine. After a long break, the two countries agreed on how to improve mutually beneficial cooperation, people's lives, and the future of our countries, "said Minister Maryna Lazebna.
During the briefing, the Minister admitted that the draft of the initially drawn up minutes of the meeting of the intergovernmental commission disappointed her somewhat, since it did not contain clear positions, expected results, and specific dates. "We do not need a protocol for the sake of a protocol, or a document that will remain the protocol of the 8th meeting of the intergovernmental commission," she stressed. Labezna expressed hope that today's meeting and signing of memorandums will become a growth point for cooperation and mutually beneficial relations between the countries. At the same time, she assured that she would do everything necessary on her part to advance the plans.
Noting that the agreement base with Armenia contains 59 documents, the Ukrainian Minister stressed the need to sign a memorandum between the ministries responsible for the social sector in Ukraine and Armenia, and to revise the agreement in the field of social security.
In turn, Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan pointed to the high potential for the growth of trade turnover between the two countries, referring to the existence of a free trade agreement. In particular, he noted the prospect of cooperation between the countries in the agricultural sector, given that Ukraine is the leader in the production of agricultural products in the region. In addition, from the point of view of the potential of the Armenian-Ukrainian cooperation, Kerobyan also named the areas of digital transformation, industry, metallurgy, the chemical industry, etc. "I think our overall focus on achieving results will certainly be effective. Our next meeting will take place in May next year in Ukraine. I think that by this time we will already have good results, "he said.
Answering an ArmInfo correspondent's question regarding investment cooperation, Vahan Kerobyan said that a couple of weeks ago, Enterprise Armenia, which is responsible for Armenia's foreign investments, and Ukraine Invest, whose activities are aimed at improving the investment climate in Ukraine, signed a memorandum of cooperation. "This is a good agreement that will provide an opportunity to accelerate cooperation between countries in the investment field. In addition, today we discussed the possibility of attracting investment Ukrainian funds, expanding the geography of their activities in Armenia, "he said.
The Minister also said that during the meeting the parties came to an agreement on the organization of an Armenian-Ukrainian business forum in the near future. "I think that all these initiatives will contribute to the creation of new joint projects and the improvement of trade between the countries," Kerobyan assured.
In this context, in turn, Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Maryna Lazebna also spoke about the intention of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to organize a meeting of the business community of the two countries. "This will help the business segment of our countries to independently determine the directions of cooperation. And we, for our part, as representatives of the government, should only contribute to this by providing them with everything they need," she stressed.
It should be noted that at the end of the meeting of the intergovernmental commission, a memorandum on cooperation and regulation of radio broadcasting was also signed between the Commissions on Radio and Television of the Republic of Armenia and the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine. According to Vahan Kerobyan, this document implies the broadcasting of Ukrainian TV channels in the Armenian cable TV network, and the broadcasting of Armenian TV channels in the cable TV network of Ukraine.
According to the RA Statistical Committee, in 2020 the foreign trade turnover between Armenia and Ukraine decreased by 13%, amounting to $ 145.5 million. At the same time, exports maintained a positive trend, demonstrating an increase of 7.2% to $ 26.4 million, while imports fell by 16.4% up to $ 122.1 million
According to statistics, in January-July 2021, trade increased by 2.3%, providing a volume of $ 82.3 million. The volume of exports increased by 7.4 to $ 12.4 million, imports - by 1.5% to $ 69.8 million
