Union of Armenians calls for comeback of chamber of nationalities
By Lyudmila Yermakova

ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday

SAMARA, May 14 — The Union of Armenians of Russia called for setting
up a public expert council under the permanent Russo-Armenian economic
cooperation commission.

Bringing forward this proposal at the conference on inter-regional
Russian-Armenian cooperation, the first vice-president of this
all-Russian public organization Khachatur Avetisyan noted that the
participation in the expert council of the Union of Armenians of Russia
“not only would contribute to the development of bilateral ties, but
also increase the responsibility of our diaspora in Russian-Armenian
strategic partnership.”

The largest Armenian community lives in Russia, being “a solid bridge
for Russian-Armenian cooperation,” president of the Union of Armenians
of Russia Ara Abramyan said.

He said in an interview with Itar-Tass that it was time to consider the
comeback of the house of nationalities in Russia’s Federal Assembly,
where many ethnic minorities could represent their interests.

In his view, it is necessary to strengthen inter-regional partnership
while taking into account the demand on the Russian labour market. A
transparent and economically justified tax system should contribute
to it, Abramyan said, adding that it should exclude high tax rates
and the motivation of illegal employment.

A legal socio-economic and psychological adaptation of refugees and
displaced persons is also of considerable importance, he said.

Economic cooperation has a special place in bilateral strategic
partnership, Abramyan emphasized. The repayment of Armenia’s foreign
debt by transferring a number of its companies to Russia’s ownership
is one of the forms to boost bilateral relations.

He believes that the transfer of part of the shares of these companies
– on a competitive basis – to private hands is expedient. It would
be fair to let business people from the Armenian community in Russia
take part in the tender.

The president of the Union expressed concern in connection with
instability in Transcaucasia, in particular in Georgia. In this
connection, he proposed more active involvement of the business and
public potential of the Armenian and Georgian communities in forming
a stable Russia-Georgia-Armenia transport link.

The Union of Armenians of Russia calls for uniting their potential for
the sake of the objectives aimed at strengthening Russia and providing
assistance to Armenia, Abramyan said, reiterating President Robert
Kocharyan’s statement that “Armenia with its diaspora and without it
are not of same weight.”