Joint statement Between the Republic of Armenia and the People’s Republic of China on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership |

The Republic of Armenia and the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the “Parties”)

based on the centuries-old friendship between the two peoples,

sharing a common view that since the establishment of diplomatic relations on April 6, 1992, bilateral relations have been developing dynamically, and the cooperation between the two countries has reached positive results in various fields,

fully committed to expanding cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and social fields, as well as in international affairs and in promoting regional and global peace and stability,

have reached an agreement to establish a strategic partnership, whilst continuing to be guided by the fundamental principles of bilateral relations, characterized by equality, mutual respect and trust, as well as mutually beneficial cooperation.

POLITICAL DIALOGUE
The Parties are guided by the principles of peaceful coexistence: mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

The Parties respect the development paths chosen by the other side in accordance with national characteristics and independent decision-making in bilateral relations policy. The Parties act as reliable partners for one another, refrain from actions that harm the sovereignty, security and development interests of the other side, or any actions that violate the mutual trust between the two countries and friendship between the peoples.
The Armenian side confirms its position in support of the one-China principle, recognizing that there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and that the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China; firmly opposes any form of “Taiwan independence” and supports the efforts being made by China towards the national reunification.

The Chinese side confirms its firm support for the political independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders of the Republic of Armenia. China supports the peace agenda proposed by the Armenian side, and welcomes the “Crossroads of Peace” initiative.

The Parties believe that geopolitical intrigues aimed at supporting confrontation will serve no purpose, and jointly oppose any steps that destabilize the region and provoke a new escalation.

The Parties express their readiness to strengthen high-level political dialogue, to convene regular political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries, and to expand communication between central and local authorities, as well as between political parties for the purpose of exchanging experience and strengthening collaboration.

The Parties attach great importance to the further cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries and emphasize the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in fostering bilateral political dialogue.

The Parties emphasize the need to further develop communication mechanisms between the governments of the two countries to exchange views on development and security issues.

The Parties are ready to strengthen cooperation and exchange in the legal and judicial spheres, based on equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect.

The Parties express their readiness to strengthen law enforcement and security cooperation, to exert joint efforts toward countering terrorism, separatism, extremism, cybercrime and other types of transnational crimes.

The Parties will continue to enhance interregional cooperation.

The Parties will continue to enrich the political and treaty-based legal frameworks for deepening cooperation in different spheres.

ECONOMY, TRADE, INVESTMENTS AND TOURISM

The Parties welcome the steady growth of bilateral trade in recent years and express their readiness to make efforts for its further increase, including efforts aimed at stimulating the export of Armenian products and their entry into the Chinese market, as well as attracting investments of Chinese companies to Armenia. Armenia welcomes the participation of Chinese companies in infrastructure projects in Armenia.

The Parties express their willingness to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the aim of expanding the trade and investment potential in such areas as infrastructure, information technologies, renewable energy sources, agriculture, industry, etc.

The Parties recognize the essential role of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation in the further development of trade and economic relations between Armenia and China and express their readiness to continue regularly holding sessions of the Commission and employing efforts for the comprehensive implementation of its decisions, for the purpose of which both sides are raising the level of the Co-Chairs of the Commission.

China welcomes Armenia’s active participation in the China International Import Expo, China Import and Export Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, the Global Digital Trade Expo, the China International Consumer Products Expo, the China International Small and Medium Enterprises Expo, the China International Fair for Investment and Trade and other major exhibitions. The Chinese side supports the Armenian side in using online platforms for the promotion and sale of high-quality goods. Armenia also welcomes the active participation of the Chinese side in international exhibitions and fairs held in Armenia, including the Expo Food and Drinks, the ArmProd EXPO, the Build EXPO, the Industrial Armenia EXPO, the DigiTec Expo, the ArmHighTech Exhibition, etc.

The Parties express their readiness to further increase mutual investments to strengthen cooperation in such areas as industry, information and telecommunications, agriculture, energy, etc., to promote high-quality cooperation.

The Parties express their readiness to discuss the improvement of the treaty-based legal framework pertinent to the trade and economic field, and actively study the possibility of creating an institutional mechanism for the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment procedures. The Parties reaffirm their firm position on defending the multilateral trading system with the WTO at the core, and support the integration of the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement into the legal structure of the WTO.

The Parties express their readiness to deepen development cooperation and work out opportunities to implement more small and beautiful social projects in Armenia. Armenia expresses its gratitude to China for continuous technical assistance, including projects on human resources development.

The Parties express their readiness to strengthen cooperation in the field of tourism. In particular, the Parties highly appreciate the visa-free regime between the two countries, which significantly stimulates tourism, enhances people-to-people contacts, and expands economic, social and cultural ties. The Parties agree that the implementation of direct flights between the two countries serves as an additional incentive to tourism cooperation. China welcomes Armenia’s participation in the annual China International Travel Mart (CITM) and other tourism exhibitions.

SECTORAL COOPERATION

The Parties express interest in promoting mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of science and technology, education, and language exchanges. The Parties consider it as an important aspect of promoting cultural exchange and dialogue to teach and popularize the Armenian and Chinese languages in each other’s educational institutions including the Confucius Institute in Armenia. The Parties will discuss strengthening cooperation in such areas as digital education and vocational education. The Parties actively support the translation and publication of each other’s classic works.

The Parties express their readiness to actively facilitate exchanges between research institutes, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of science and technology, promote the application of technological achievements, and bring about new progress in their scientific and technological cooperation.

The Parties emphasize the importance of cooperation in the fields of information technology, innovation and artificial intelligence, and express their readiness to promote the establishment of incubation centers, science and technology parks, innovation centers and joint research centers, with Armenia’s “Engineering City” and “Academic City” projects as possible platforms for cooperation.

The Parties agree to enhance cooperation in culture, make active efforts to organize Culture Days and other events on a mutual basis. The Parties express their readiness to conduct cooperation in preserving cultural relics and carrying forward cultural heritage, and step up collaboration under the framework of the Ancient Civilization Forum. Being ancient civilizations and active participants of the Forum, the Parties stand ready to actively conduct cooperation under the framework of the Forum.

The Parties express their readiness to deepen cooperation in health, employment, social security, sports and youth, and strengthen exchanges in fields including film, media and think tanks.

The Parties support further facilitating personnel exchanges.

The Parties regard digitalization and digital transformation as a priority area in bilateral cooperation, and stand ready to implement joint projects for the introduction of modern technologies. The Parties also express interest in the exchange of experience in fields including cybersecurity and combating hybrid threats.

The Parties agree that further deepening cooperation in transportation and enhancing transportation facilitation, on the basis of respect for national sovereignty and national jurisdiction, equality, and reciprocity, is conducive to improving regional interconnectivity and promoting economic and trade development.

GLOBAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

The Parties stay committed to defending the UN-centered international system, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The Parties stand ready to continue to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the UN, support each other in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, join hands in promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world and a mutually beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and jointly promote the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity. The Parties believe that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interconnected. The promotion and protection of human rights must observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as well as international law.

The Parties reiterate that the right to development, as a universal and inalienable right, is an integral part of human rights. The Parties stand ready to promote effective international collaboration in order to realize the right to development and eliminate obstacles hindering development.

The Armenian side welcomes the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by the Chinese side, and in particular, such concepts as respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, supporting the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the peaceful settlement of all disputes through dialogue, prioritizing development, putting the people front and center, unleashing the power of innovation, alleviating poverty, addressing climate change, and promoting green development. The Parties express their readiness to accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, jointly safeguard international and regional security and stability, and promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

The Parties will strengthen policy coordination as well as the synergy between development plans within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and bring their Belt and Road cooperation to a new stage of high-quality development, for the benefit of the two countries and their peoples. Armenia, as one of the first countries to participate in Belt and Road cooperation, stands ready to work with China to actively promote the implementation of relevant cooperation projects under the BRI and the “Crossroads of Peace” initiative, and ensure the safe and successful progress of these projects.

The Chinese side welcomes the Armenian side’s desire to strengthen cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and supports the Armenian side in improving its legal status in the SCO.

The Armenian side supports the fundamental principles of the SCO, such as mutual respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, non-violation of national borders, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, and non-use of force or threat of its use in international relations. These principles are also an integral part of Armenia’s peace agenda and conducive to long-term peace and stability in the South Caucasus.

The Chinese side welcomes Armenia’s membership in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and stands ready to deepen cooperation with the Armenian side within the framework of the AIIB and jointly support the AIIB in better serving its developing members’ demands for infrastructure construction and sustainable development.

The Office to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia

Media can quote materials of Aravot.am with hyperlink to the certain material quoted. The hyperlink should be placed on the first passage of the text.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}