RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 20 2004

RUSSIA TO TREAT CSTO MILITARY ALLIANCE ON PAR WITH DOMESTIC
PARTNERSHIP: PUTIN

SOCHI, August 20 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is willing to treat military
partnership with other countries on the Collective Security Treaty
Organization on a par with partnership ties within the country,
reassures President Vladimir Putin.

He made the statement at a news conference he and President Robert
Kocharyan of Armenia were addressing after today’s summit in Sochi,
Russia’s Black Sea coastal spa.

The State Duma, Russia’s lower parliamentary house, will debate the
prospects. The Kremlin is ready with a respective resolution, which
implies all exports/imports within the Treaty Organization proceeding
from Russian domestic prices, said President Putin.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization brings together six
post-Soviet countries-Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia and Tajikistan.

Mr. Putin spoke about Russian-Armenian economic partnership, too.
Thus, several Russian industrial companies intend to invest a total
$26 million to update the Armenian-based Armenal Co.

Power industrial partnership is an essential aspect of bilateral
ties, added Russia’s President.

President Kocharyan, in his turn, approved current trends and
developments in bilateral economic contacts. They became much more
diversified within the preceding two or three years, and capital
investment is on an upswing, he said.

The President highlighted 600 presently available Russian-Armenian
joint ventures, and stressed an increasing Russian corporate
participation in Armenian business.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress