ArmenPress
July 26 2004

ARMENIA N PRIME MINISTER SPEAKS IN FAVOR OF REOPENING ABKHAZ SECTION
OF RAILWAY

TBILISI, JULY 26, ARMENPRESS: Restoration of railway communication
across Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia topped the agenda of
Armenian-Georgian talks today in Tbilisi with participation of
Armenian prime minister Andranik Margarian and an extensive Armenian
delegation. “Armenia is greatly interested in the resumption of the
railway operation of the Abkhaz section,” Margarian told reporters
after concluding talks with his Georgian counterpart Zurab Zhvania.
He said though this issue is not linked directly to Armenian-Georgian
relations, the ongoing negotiations inspire some hopes that a certain
progress may be achieved in that direction “as Georgia has too
softened its position on this issue.”
“We hope that if not this year then some years later this problem
will be resolved,” Margarian said adding that the operating railway
is of vital importance not only for Armenia but for Georgia as well,
as deeper economic cooperation with the breakaway region may serve as
an additional resource for the peaceful settlement of the conflict.
Concerning the current level of trade and economic cooperation
with Georgia, Margarian said though its amount is growing day by day
the available potential is not used to the full extent. Overall there
are only 25 joint Armenian-Georgian ventures, which is not a good
figure, according to the prime minister, especially having in mind
traditional Georgian-Armenian ties, the huge potential of Georgian
Armenians, many of whom are engaged in businesses and serve as
government officials.
According to the Armenian prime minister, a bigger attention
should be devoted to building favorable conditions for private sector
cooperation, which he said is hampered by some security problems
Armenian businessmen run into on Georgian highways, despite a
recorded progress, following a Georgian government decision to cut
the number of road police officers.
“During our meeting with president Mikhail Saakashvili we learned
that Georgia is trying to introduce simplified customs procedures on
border with Armenia, supposed to facilitate cargo forwarding services
and if all these promises come true we may expect a great upsurge in
the volume of bilateral trade by the close of this year,” Margarian
said.
Margarian said also Armenia has proposed that a wholesale market
in Gogavan on the border, closed by Georgian authorities, reopen to
allow bordering provinces to establish contacts and start mutually
beneficial trade.
The Armenian prime minister also spoke about power supplies from
Armenia to Georgia saying Armenia’s power grid is run by private
companies which will supply as much electricity as Georgia would
request.