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The President of the Republic met with the President of Armenia27.06.2002
Today and tomorrow, the President of the Republic of Armenia, Robert Kocharian, is on an official visit to Estonia.
The visit started with a welcoming ceremony in front of the Kadriorg Presidential Palace, where the guard of honour was lined up and the national anthems of Armenia and Estonia were played. The President of the Republic of Estonia and the President of the Republic of Armenia were greeted by the members of the respective delegations. The welcoming ceremony was followed by a tête-à- tête meeting of the Presidents, in the course of which also gifts were exchanged and President Kocharian made an entry into visitors` book.
At the meeting between the Presidents and the delegations, the bilateral relations of Estonia and Armenia were under discussion, throughout the history of which, according to the Estonian Head of State, cultural relations had played the dominant role. And this, mostly thanks to the 370-year-old University of Tartu, at which many renowned Armenians have studied. Nowadays, our culture is enriched by the Armenian community of Estonia amounting to two thousand people, President Rüütel added.
The Estonian Head of State noted further that the economic contacts between our two countries were unfortunately modest. The Armenian Head of State, the present visit being his first visit to Estonia, expressed hope that the given visit paved the way for building closer economic relations between our two countries.
President Kocharian took interest in Estonia`s development and integration towards Europe, which, in his words, were followed very attentively in Armenia. The President added that Armenia`s interest to learn from Estonia is almost as great as in the 19th century when Khachatur Abovian used to study in Tartu.
The Armenian President`s attention was caught in particular by Estonia`s progress in information technology. Estonian specialists are participating in a project of installing internet in schools, which today is being realized in Armenia. President Kocharian assured that Armenia, on top of that, was interested in Estonia`s experience in the field of regional co-operation and reforms.
The Presidents shared the view that small nations had the best prospects of development when using their intellectual potential for manufacturing high-tech products.
At the end of the meeting, the Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs, Transport and Communication, Liina Tõnisson, and the Armenian Minister of Trade and Economic Development, Karen Tchchmaritian, signed the Agreement on Trade and Economic Relations between the Governments of the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Armenia. Pursuing the goal of creating for the development of trade and economic relations between the two countries mutually beneficial conditions, the agreement accords to the parties most-favoured nation treatment on trade in goods and services. That applies to export, import, taxation and transit. For the purpose of monitoring the adherence to the agreement a relevant commission will be set up.
In the evening, the President of the Republic and Mrs Ingrid Rüütel will host a dinner in honour of the President of Armenia in the White Hall of Vanalinnastuudio.
Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, June 27, 2002
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