FINNISH PRESIDENT GREETS RA AUTHORITIES FOR GREAT PROGRESS IN COOPERATION WITH EU
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 27 2005
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia hopes to get “more
active assistance” from Finland while making up an action plan within
the framework of the “New Neighborhood” policy. RA President Robert
Kocharian declared this at the press conference convened at the end of
the September 27 negotiations with President of Finland Tarja Halonen
who is in Armenia on an official visit. Finland’s assistance in this
issue is expected especially in consideration of the fact that this
country will preside over in EU next year.
President Kocharian expressed hope that this program will be adopted
by the end of the year, it will mean continuation of reforms in a
number of directions. The issue of Finland’s assistance in the 2-3
directions in which this country succeeded was also discussed during
the meeting with Finnish President.
Expressing satisfaction with the results of “open and frank”
negotiations, RA President noted that he hopes that the visit will
seriously stimulate the bilateral relations. R.Kocharian was pleased
with the activity of political dialogue during the negotiations
highlighting that nevertheless they especially stressed steps
stimulating bilateral economic cooperation.
RA President also informed the Finnish President about the negotiations
process around Nagorno Karabakh settlement: Mrs Halonen is for the
first time in the region as a Finnish President but she had visited
the region earlier as the Foreign Minister of the same country, as
OSCE Chairwoman-in-Office. A number of regional issues were discussed,
including the issue of Armenian-Turkish relations.
The Finnish President in her turn attached importance to the meeting
of the 2 Presidents as the highest meeting of political dialogue. She
informed that she invited RA President to visit Finland. Tarja
Halonen also attached importance to the prospects of bilateral
economic cooperation, emphasizing the necessity of protection of the
investments being at the stage of final elaboration and agreements on
avoiding of double taxation. The Finnish President also highlighted
that besides the above-mentioned agreements, protection of democracy
and supremacy of law is very important for business circles, a very
important circumstance carefully followed by business circles.
As for the issue of Nagorno Karabakh settlement, the Finnish President
“encouraged President Kocharian to continue his efforts and take
further steps in order to find a final solution to the problem.”
T.Halonen congratulated and thanked the Armenian authorities for “great
progress,” as she estimated, in the sphere of cooperation with the EU,
especially within the framework of the New Neighborhood program.
The Finnish Minister of Trade and Economic Development mentioned
spheres of mining, information and communication technologies as those
representing mutual interest for cooperation between the 2 countries,
saying that there are also great opportunities for cooperation in the
sphere of tourism. He expressed hope that after the elaboration of
the 2 agreements necessary for economic cooperation business forums
will be held in Finland, then in Armenia where additional directions
for development of economic cooperation will be discussed. The Finnish
President in her turn added that there is already a great current of
tourists coming from Finland to Armenia and expressed an opinion that
“it should be extended.”