RIA Novosti. Russia
Jan 13 2005

DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA IN 2004 WAS A PRIORITY IN
ARMENIAN FOREIGN POLICY

YEREVAN, January 13 (RIA Novosti, Gamlet Matevosyan) – Last year,
development and strengthening of relations with the Russian
Federation was a priority in Armenian foreign policy, says the 2004
final report of Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan.

According to the department of information and press under the
Armenian foreign ministry the document noted that Russia and Armenia
continued to develop and expand bilateral cooperation in the
military-technical, economic and humanitarian spheres, and in the
framework of CIS and CSTO.

2004 was marked by three working visits of Armenian president Robert
Kocharyan to Russia, an official visit of Armenian prime minister
Andranik Markaryan to the Russian Federation, visits of the Russian
State Duma and Federation Council chairmen Sergei Mironov and Boris
Gryzlov to Armenia.

Armenian Foreign Minister Oskanyan was in Moscow in July 2004 on an
official visit. The sides discussed mutual cooperation on the global
arena and the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.

During the sixth meeting of the Russian-Armenian intergovernmental
committee, the participants discussed issues of bilateral economic
cooperation. They reached an agreement on Armenia’s participation in
the construction of the international transportation corridor
North-South, which has strategic importance for Armenia as an
alternative route to the outside world through the territory of Iran.

A railroad ferry between the ports of Poti (Georgia) and Kavkaz
(Russia) will also play an important role in the increase of trade
turnover between Armenia and Russia. The implementation of this
project will decrease significantly the cost of transportation.

In order to expand economic cooperation between the two countries,
the Armenian-Russian Business Association was created. It has about
100 members at present.

Issues of military-technical cooperation between the two countries
were discussed during the visit of Russian defense minister Sergei
Ivanov to Armenia, and also during the first meeting of the
Russian-Armenian intergovernmental committee on military-technical
cooperation held in September 2004.

In April last year, Armenia hosted Culture Days of the Russian
Federation, and Moscow hosted the Week of Armenian cinema in March.
The two countries agreed to announce 2005 – the Year of Russia in
Armenia and 2006 – the Year of Armenia in Russia.

In 2004, Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov and Mayor of Yerevan Ervand
Zakharyan exchanged visits.

About 50 subjects of the Russian Federation actively cooperate with a
number of Armenian regions in the economic sphere.