Armenia, China Premiers Discuss Ways of Expanding Economic Cooperation

BEIJING — Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met Tuesday with Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian, in China for the Euro-Asia Economic Forum.

Welcoming the Prime Minister of Armenia, the Chairman of the State Council of China thanked him for accepting the invitation to visit China and attend the Eurasian Economic Forum. Highly appreciative of the Armenian-Chinese relations, Li Keqiang expressed confidence that his Armenian counterpart’s visit might help promote the development and strengthening of bilateral cooperation.

Li said China is ready to enhance the alignment of its development strategies with Armenia and push forward industrial capacity cooperation in areas of non-ferrous metals and building materials.

The Chinese government supports Chinese companies to participate in the construction of major infrastructure projects in Armenia, such as highways and nuclear power plants, he said.

He also suggested enhanced cooperation in aviation and tourism between the two sides, in a bid to open up new areas for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Li lauded the successful Armenian Culture Day in Beijing this year, saying China will take the opportunity of holding the Chinese Culture Day in Armenia next year to increase the mutual understanding and friendship between people of both sides.

Thankful for the warm welcome, Prime Minister Abrahamian pointed out that the development of relations with China is a foreign policy priority for Armenia. Stressing that there is great potential for cooperation in the economic sphere, Hovik Abrahamian expressed conviction that his visit would give fresh impetus to bilateral ties and economic cooperation.

Stating that a high-level political dialogue had been nurtured by the two countries in recent years, the interlocutors stressed the importance of continued cooperation in the fields of infrastructure development, energy, transportation, chemical industry, agriculture, tourism, science, education, culture and civil aviation. In this context, they noted the importance of the Armenian-Chinese intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation. Bilateral trade had been on the upgrade in recent years leading to a significant increase in trade turnover (more than half a billion dollars).

As the two prime ministers discussed Iran-Armenia Railroad and North-South Road Corridor investment programs, the Chinese Premier reiterated his country’s interest in them. He expressed readiness to implement joint projects in infrastructure, industry, humanitarian and other spheres. Li Keqiang advised that Armenian students’ scholarship was going to be raised in China next year.