Putin hopes Kavkaz-Poti ferry link to promote business in region

ITAR-TASS News Agency
March 25, 2005 Friday

YEREVAN, March 25 — Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes the ferry
crossing line between the Russian port Kavkaz and Georgian Poti port
opened one of these days will promote more active business development
in the region.

“During the talks we dwelt on transport infrastructure issues,” Putin
said at a press conference with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
on Friday.

The Russian head of state said about the launch of the ferry crossing
line. “Hope this line will work for the benefit of all countries of
the region,” Putin said.

According to him, “It’s an important step in the right direction and
it will serve the business development and help create new jobs.”

Kocharyan said for his part the beginning of the ferry service ‘means
the beginning of the solution of a very serious transport problem
that has been restraining our cooperation.”

“I’m certain new prospects we have even not talked about earlier will
open now,” the Armenian president stressed.

Kocharyan is convinced in general that the two countries’ cooperation
potential is much more bigger.

“I mean the new quality of cooperation and we have very serious
resource for that,” Kocharyan believes.