YEREVAN, April 9. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a video conversation with the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Odile Renaud-Basso on Friday, the press service of the government reported.
“Armenia appreciates highly the partnership with the EBRD, the effectiveness of which is evidenced by the programs successfully implemented in the financial market, as well as in such sectors as SMEs, energy, agriculture and others,” Pashinyan said, stressing the importance of bilateral dialogue for advancing structural reforms in the country and improving its investment climate.
The prime minister noted that in 2020 the EBRD’s investment portfolio in Armenia amounted to 160 million euros, which is the largest annual package for the entire period of partnership.
Pashinyan spoke also about the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and the recent war in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, the socio-economic situation and presented the government’s actions to overcome them.
Noting that Armenia spares no effort to solve humanitarian problems in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) because of the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan, he drew the attention of the EBRD President to more intensive cooperation.
The EBRD President noted that the bank appreciates the partnerships with Armenia and is interested in deepening cooperation in the development of infrastructure, energy, private sector and financial institutions, as well as in financing new programs.
Odile Renaud-Basso described the work Armenia’s Ministry of Finance as effective, which is a solid basis for expanding partnership with the country and the successful implementation of joint initiatives.
Pashinyan and EBRD President exchanged also views on the current agenda of cooperation, as well as on future programs. They attached importance to cooperation in improving the competitiveness of the private sector. The EBRD President attached importance to the initiatives aimed at stimulating the economic activity of women.
They also discussed issues related to infrastructure projects, including the construction of the North-South Highway. Pashinyan touched upon the unblocking of regional communications, noting that the resumption of the operation of communications infrastructures could be promising for joint projects.
The Prime Minister confirmed Armenia’s support for the 5-year strategy of the EBRD, the priorities of which are in line with the priorities of the government, adding that Armenia will be glad to host the annual meeting of the EBRD in 2024.
The EBRD is the leading institutional investor in Armenia and is active in all sectors of the economy. Having started its activity in Armenia in 1992, as of early June 2020, the bank invested 1.36 billion euros in Armenia in 178 projects in the financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors, with 90% of investments channeled into the private sector. -0-
