YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian authorities attach special importance to the consistent development of friendly relations with Japan - one of the leading countries in the Asian-Pacific region, taking into account this country's contribution to maintenance of peace and stability in the world and its assistance to developing countries. The Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian stated this at the October 25 meeting with the Japanese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipoentiary to Armenia Yasuo Saito (residence - Moscow). He noted with satisfaction that over the last 10 years the Japanese government has provided assitance to Armenia both as official development-aimed assistance at the bilateral level and through international financial organizations. According to the prime minister, general, cultural, small grant, and techical assistance programs, as well as concessional credit programs related to such important sectors of the Armenian economy as agriculture, small and medium enterprises, community infrastructure, energy, culture, education and health care are aimed at assisting Armenia with its economic reforms. A. Margarian pointed out the agreement on allocation of a 150 million-dollar concessional loan to the Armenian government for re-equipment of the Yerevan Thermal Power Plant and welcomed the Japanese government's intention to implement 2 new grant programs on development of rural communities in the near future. He said that the development of rural communities, especially mountainous and border ones, is one of the priorities of the Armenian government's economic policy, because the poverty level is especially high in these communities. According to the RA Government Information and PR Department, during the meeting the sides also underlined the importance of cooperation at the international level. Ambassador Saito indicated the scarce natural resources and considerable intellectual potential as the common features of the two countries, adding that if the latter is efficiently used, the country may achieve a remarkable success.

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