Bulgarian president receives Armenian parliamentary delegation

BTA web site, Sofia
30 Jun 04

Sofia, 30 June: The state and prospects of bilateral relations, with
an emphasis on initiatives to boost two-way trade, build
infrastructure projects, pursue regional cooperation and European
integration, figured on the agenda of Wednesday’s [30 June] session
between Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov and an Armenian
parliamentary delegation, led by National Assembly Chairman Artur
Baghdasaryan.

Last year witnessed a breakthrough in Bulgarian-Armenian trade, but
the two countries can and should do a lot better than the 23m US
dollars’ worth of goods they exchanged, the guest said, quoted by the
President’s Press Secretariat. He stressed that Armenia is
particularly keen on regional cooperation and will assist the
implementation of specific projects in this sphere, as well as the
twinning between Bulgarian and Armenian cities. The guests expressed
readiness to invigorate cooperation in education and culture and
specifically to help Sofia University open an Armenian Studies
Department.

President Purvanov noted that Bulgaria attaches enormous importance to
infrastructure projects and specifically the connection between
TRACECA and Pan-European Corridor No.VIII. “This will be the soundest
investment in peace and security of two regions which are key to the
entire continent,” he stressed. The president promised Bulgaria’s
active support to Armenia’s efforts to reach the threshold of European
integration. He also welcomed the idea to initiate the establishment
of culture centres in Sofia and Yerevan under the auspices of the two
parliaments.

It emerged at the session that a visit of the Bulgarian head of state
to Armenia has already been scheduled for October 2004.