Armenia-Kuwait relations deep, arising from support in 1990: Charchoglian

Tuesday,12 October 2010
By : Jameel W. Karaki
KUWAIT: Armenian Ambassador to Kuwait Fadey Charchoglian underscored, in an interview with Al Watan Daily, that bilateral relations between the State of Kuwait and Armenia are deep and that there is a concerted effort to sign conventions in the areas of economy, education, culture and education.
The ambassador mentioned that a delegation from Armenia is going to sign an agreement regarding an exchange program between the two countries that will allow students from both sides to be involved. Speaking on relations with its neighbors, the ambassador said that there are no relations between Armenia and Turkey or Azerbaijan. However, he noted that Armenia continues to work on the peace efforts in order to improve relations with both nations within the framework of international laws and resolutions.

The following is excerpts of the interview:
How do you describe the bilateral relationship between Kuwait and Armenia?
Fadey Charchoglian: All the ministers and officials I have met so far have welcomed me, and I have found among them a desire to sign a number of bilateral agreements. We look forward to seeing the flag of Kuwait in Armenia when the Kuwaiti embassy opens to develop the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Kuwait and Armenia are great examples of a partnership in the international realm. During the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the Republic of Armenia took a clear political position, demanding the restoration of Kuwait's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to ensure its independence at the same time.

What sectors in Armenia are open to foreign investment?
Charchoglian: Armenia today has stable and sustainable economic development policies and it presents itself to the world as a reliable partner. Armenia works to attract foreign direct investments in many industries such as the IT sector, electronics, mining, chemicals, tourism, food and beverages, textiles and clothing, and jewelry and diamonds
The Armenian government guarantees secure investments for every single dollar invested by a foreign investor. As a result, many foreign investors and delegations have visited Armenia and shown interest in investing.
Minister of Finance Mustafa Al-Shamali visited Armenia recently, where we signed an agreement to promote investments between the two countries. Currently we are preparing an agreement in the field of technical and economic cooperation, hopefully to be signed this year.
I conducted many meetings with officials from the Public Authority for Investment (PAI) and the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Economic and trade cooperation will be built on solid and strong foundations and, such a step will pave the way for deeper relations between the two countries.

What about cooperation in the education field?
Charchoglian: I had a meeting with the president of Kuwait University and we are waiting for a delegation from Armenia to sign an agreement regarding an exchange program between the two countries that allows students from both sides to be involved. In addition, Kuwait University showed interest in cooperating with us. Armenia has a strong Oriental Studies faculty and we are ready to receive Kuwaiti students in our universities.

Are there any visits planned by the officials of the two countries?
Charchoglian: We invited His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to Armenia since all Armenians love the Amir; he is a well-known figure and we are looking forward to his visit. In my opinion, I believe that this visit will develop the bilateral relationships between the countries and we hope to see the Kuwaiti flag on our land.

How is Armenia handling disputes with its neighboring countries? What is the goal of your foreign policy?
Charchoglian: I do not want to focus on the political problems between Armenia and neighboring countries, however, there are no relations between Armenia and Turkey or Azerbaijan. We recently signed a protocol with Turkey to open the common borders and to establish diplomatic relations without preconditions. However, the Turkish Parliament has not ratified it, after which the Armenian Parliament suspended the ratification of this protocol, and now we are waiting for the decision of the Turkish side to push forward the process.
The foreign policy of the Republic of Armenia aims to achieve peace and security among nations and to maintain balanced relationships with all countries based on mutual respect within the framework of international society. In addition, the foreign policy of Armenia encourages tolerance and the dialogue of civilizations. Armenia is keen to make every effort to be among the countries contributing to the achievement of world peace and security, regionally and internationally
In addition, Armenia has always exercised a policy of peace, seeking the establishment of peaceful relations with neighboring countries, and we do not seek to invalidate cooperation protocol with Turkey. However, we are waiting for the final decision by the Turkish Parliament in this regard.
As for Azerbaijan, the dispute relates to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh between the two countries. I confirm that Armenia seeks and will continue to seek to resolve the existing problems with neighboring countries in the future by peaceful means within the framework of international laws and resolutions. The peace process is going on within the framework of OSCE Minsk group proposed by the three Co-chairs of the Minsk Group - France, the Russian Federation and the United States