ArmInfo.The Japanese government is interested in strengthening relations with Armenia and is ready to discuss prospects for further development of bilateral cooperation. This was announced during a meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, by the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan, Eiichi Hasegawa, who will be in Armenia from October 16 to 18 as part of the Global Innovation Forum.
According to the official press service of the government, Eiichi Hasegawa conveyed good wishes from the Prime Minister of Japan to the Armenian Prime Minister in connection with the reforms being implemented in Armenia to develop democracy.
In turn, Pashinyan noted that Armenia attaches importance to the political dialogue with Japan, relations with which have been developing dynamically since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the effective cooperation formed on its basis has growth potential. The Head of Government expressed gratitude for the assistance provided to Armenia by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and noted that the joint programs being implemented contribute to the development of Armenian-Japanese relations in various fields.
The Prime Minister confirmed the invitation to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to visit Armenia, noting that he would be glad to accept a colleague and discuss the prospects for effective Armenian- Japanese cooperation.
According to the source, during the meeting the interlocutors exchanged views on the progress of infrastructure development programs in a number of areas, prospects for strengthening ties in education, tourism, and the humanitarian sphere. It should be noted that, according to the RA Statistical Committee, the trade turnover between Armenia and Japan in January-August 2019 increased by 40.9% to $ 94.7mln. In particular, exports showed 2.1-fold growth, amounting to only $ 612.5 thousand, while import increased by 40.6% to $ 94.1 million.