TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND LITHUANIA DO NOT REFLECT CAPABILITIES OF SIDES
Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia is interested in strengthening
and developing the Armenian-Lithuanian political relations with a
simulataneous promotion of cooperation in the economic sphere. The
Armenian Prime Minsiter Andranik Margarian stated this at the April
26 meeting with the Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus who is on an
official visit to Armenia. It was noted that despite some growth in
commodity turnover in 2005 on 2004, cooperation in this sphere remains
at a low level and does not reflect the capabilities of the sides. In
this connection A. Margarian expressed confidence that organizing a
business forum within the framework of the Lithuanian President’s visit
will become an additional incentive for further promotion of trade
and economic relations between the two countries. From the viewpoint
of encouraging the trade and economic cooperation, the interlocutors
attached importance to frequent business forums and mutual visits,
regular exchange of business information, organization of exhibitions
and extension of cooperation between various infrastructures of the
trade and economic sphere of the two countries – between chambers
of commerce and industry, unions of manufacturers and businessmen,
as well as to close cooperation in such sectors, as small and medium
enterprises development, science, technologies and innovation policy,
agriculture, transport, tourism, etc. V. Adamkus underlined the
importance of improving the transport communication routes, including
the necessity to relaunch the Abkhazian railway, in response to
which the Armenian Prime Minister stated that Armenia has repeatedly
expressed a willingness to participate in the Abkhazian railway’s
relaunchment work. The sides spoke about cooperation in the energy
sector, including energy security-related issues. A. Margarian informed
the Lithuanian President that a month of Information Technologies
(IT) is scheduled to take place in Yerevan in September-October 2006,
during which a number of forums and the DIGITEC 2006 annual
international exhibition will be held. According to the RA Government
Information and PR Department, the Armenian Prime Minsiter invited the
Lithuanian IT companies and associations to take part in these events.