RUSSIA-ARMENIA: FINE PROSPECTS FOR ECONOMIC TIES, SAYS PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 14 2004
MOSCOW, May 14 (RIA Novosti) – President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia
is in Moscow on visit. Today, he held conference with the organising
committee of a nascent Russian-Armenian Business Partnership
Association.
Bilateral economic contacts have excellent opportunities, far exceeding
their present scope, which is impressive, too-suffice it to mention
close on 600 joint ventures and Armenian-based companies with Russian
participation, most of them prosperous, said the President.
Russian-Armenian economic partnership is making good progress,
especially in iron-and-steel and non-ferrous metal industries,
construction and banking. Chemical industrial contacts are very
promising, he added.
Mr. Kocharyan consented to become honoured association president. “If
this is to be my initial contribution, I say yes,” he replied to a
request by Nikolai Ryzhkov, organising committee chief and member of
the Federation Council, Russia’s upper parliamentary house.
The association is a fruitful idea, and President Kocharyan is
surprised just why no one has come on the idea before, what with both
countries’ ample attention to their economic links. Armenia will do
all it can to get the association going, he pledged.
Expected to be established next month, the association had its
organising committee maiden session in Moscow, April. It will promote
bilateral social, economic, research and technological contacts,
beneficial to either country. It has a solid tentative corporate
membership-more than a hundred Russian-based companies and seventy
Armenian have applied to join in for today.
A bilateral parliamentary commission for Russo-Armenian partnership,
which Senator Ryzhkov co-chairs for Russia, is having its nearest
session in Yerevan, June 2-3, he announced. The agenda is already
determined, and will concern economic contacts.
The commission has 22 members on either side. Representing Russia
are ten Senators and twelve members of the State Duma lower house.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress