ArmInfo. The Japanese government intends to assist Armenia in work on the development of human resources, improvement of the business environment and development of infrastructures.
The newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Armenia Fukushima Masanori stated this during a meeting with RA Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan. In this regard, he stressed that there are numerous opportunities for development in Armenia.
At the same time, Ambassador Fukushima Masanori noted that in the course of fulfilling his diplomatic mission in the Republic of Armenia, he intends to lay the foundation for long-term economic cooperation between the countries, activate cultural and sports ties and implement exchange programs for youth. According to the Japanese diplomat, building trust between the two peoples can contribute to the development and implementation of new investment projects.
Noting the importance of introducing and applying the latest technologies in the development of the Armenian economy, in turn, Vahan Kerobyan proposed to cooperate with the SNCO of the Ministry of National Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the areas of technological transfer and exchange of experience between specialists in the direction of applying advanced technologies in agriculture and providing assistance in processes aimed at the development of the agricultural industry. At the same time, the minister expressed his readiness, within the framework of his powers, to contribute to the development of multilateral cooperation between the countries and the strengthening of ties. Note that, according to the RA Statistical Committee, the foreign trade turnover between Armenia and Japan in 2020 decreased by 77.8%, amounting to $ 46.4 million, while exports amounted to $ 1.4 million, with an annual decline of 8%, while imports decreased by 78.3 % up to $ 45 million.
In the first quarter of 2021, mutual trade decreased by 20.5% to $ 6.3 million, exports - by 85.6% to about $ 100 thousand, imports - by 15.8% to $ 6.2 million.