Armenian Prime Minister meets with Lombardy Deputy-President in Milan

As part of his official visit to Italy, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Fabrizio Sala, Vice-President of the Lombardy Region, to discuss the implementation of specific joint project.

Greeting the Armenian leader in office, Mr Sala thanked him for the meeting, expressing hope that their negotiations will be a new stimulus for the strengthening and deepening of the bilateral relations.

"Our international agenda is full indeed. I returned from my visit to the United Arab Emirates yesterday evening. We maintain very rich and positive relations with the outside world, hosting [international] guests and carrying out foreign visits. Our region's capital, Milan, ranks the second on the world scale with the extremely high number of its foreign consulates. Poeple here breathe an international air so to speak – not only due to the dominating business atmosphere and [opportunities for] entrepreneurial activity but also in terms of social and international relations. I welcome you on behalf of our regional governor, who is in China now on a visit and due to return only this Sunday. We cannot possibly stay at home just for the sake of it," he added.

Thanking Mr Sala for the reception, Pashinyan agreed that the relations are entering into a new phase, promising serious perspectives for economic progress as a primary objective. He emphasized the existing great potential for developing cooperation especially with Lombardy, highlighting the business community's real interest to that effect. As a successful example of econimic partnership, the premier highlighted Ryanair's plan to launch a direct air communication route between Yerevan and two Italian cities (Rome and Milan). "To be frank, it was a surprise to me to know of their decision to start the fligths from Italy, especially from Milan and Rome. As I tried to look into the reasons later, I saw it was the economic dynamic that had pushed them to take particularly those particular routes. In 2019, we launched an essentially serious project in Armenia, in which Italy had its considerable share. Reco, in collaboration with Siemens, launched a $300 million worth joint thermal-power plant construction project.

‟And the second route, by the way, which Ryanair is going to announce this summer, will be from Germany. And I tie it to Siemens," Pashinyan added.

As another important contribution, the premier highlighted the increasingly positive political context paving way also to economic relations and business development.

According to a press release by the Office of the Prime Minsiter, the sides also discussed future possibilities for developing bilateral relations. They focused, particulaly, on joint projects in machine-building, HighTech and IT industries, tourism, innovative  education and startup development. Both agreed that mutual initiatives will promote further confidence- building among business circles, boosting future investments.

The premier also briefed the Italian official on the reforms in Armenia, emphasizing the government plan for creating a free economic atmosphere to enhance the investment dynamics. The chief of cabinet elaborated further on the opportunities of doing business Armenia within different interstate blocs – the Eurasian Economic Union and the EU – promising to consider a proposed plan for sending a business mission to the country.

The Armenian premier and the Italian regional governor also considered perspectives for realizing the existing tourism potential, highlighting the importance of Ryanair’s planned direct flights from Milan and Rome to Yerevan.

Lombardy has a 22% share in Italy’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with the economic industries in Milan accounting for an estimated 9%. With its currrent population of 10 million, it is now the third most densely populated region in Europe after the Paris Region and the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is home to over 30% of the medium-sized enterprises of Italy.