AZG Armenian Daily #113, 21/06/2005

Armenia-EU

ELABORATING NEW PROGRAM OF POLITICAL ACTIONS ON THE SIDELINES OF EU’S NEW
NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY

No Deadline for NPP Closure Set

The 6th session of the Armenia-EU Cooperation Committee took place in
Yerevan yesterday. Minister of trade and economy, Karen Tchshmaritian, and
Hugues Mingarelli, European Commission Director for Eastern Europe, the
Caucasus, Central Asia Republics, chaired the session.

RA trade and economy minister gave positive evaluation of the meeting after
the session. According to the agreements the sides reached, the sides will
elaborate a new project of political actions on the sidelines of the
European Union’s New Neighborhood policy.

Participants of the session discussed developments in the economies of
Armenia and the EU and the Armenian side represented the process of reforms
it undertook in this sphere and the state of Armenian economy. The sides
emphasized the importance of improving business environment, attracting
investments and boosting the country’s export.

Concerning the issue of Metsamor Power Plant closure, Karen Tchshmaritian
said that no deadline for the closure was discussed. Hugues Mingarelli said
that the European Union will assign 100 million euros on organization of the
works directed to alternative sources of energy and will organize a donors’
conference for additional funds.

By Aghavni Harutyunian