YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on April 28 held a meeting with Lebanon’s State Minister for Planning Affairs Michel Pharaon, press service of the President’s Office told Armenpress.

The President welcomed the guest and his delegation in Armenia. He considered the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Lebanon as another good opportunity to value and appreciate the traditional warm relations and friendly ties between the two countries. He warmly recalled his official visit to Lebanon in 2012 and asked the State Minister to convey his warm greetings to Lebanese President Michel Aoun and the invitation to visit Armenia.

Serzh Sargsyan expressed hope the Lebanese State Minister’s visit and his meetings and discussions in Armenia will give a new impetus to the bilateral relations, the continuous strengthening of which is in the interests of two peoples.

At the meeting the President awarded Michel Pharaon with ‘Order of Friendship’ for the significant contribution in developing the Armenian-Lebanese economic ties, as well as strengthening the friendship between the two peoples.

In his turn the Lebanese State Minister thanked the President for the award and talked with satisfaction about his meetings and discussions held in Armenia. Michel Pharaon said during his visit he had a chance to get acquainted with Armenia’s economic opportunities, to examine the investment environment which impressed him, and he believes that Armenia has quite good conditions for attracting investments.

Both sides attached importance to the role of the Armenian community of Lebanon in terms of strengthening the inter-state ties and the friendship between the two peoples.

At the meeting, in addition to other issues, the Armenian-Lebanese cooperation at multilateral format was also discussed.