ARMENIAN-BULGARIAN COMMISSION MEETING STARTS IN YEREVAN

Armenpress
Jun 26 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS: The fourth regular meeting of
the Armenian-Bulgarian inter-governmental commission on economic
cooperation that opened today in Yerevan will discuss a wide scope
of issues such as transport, communications, trade, agriculture,
social security, yuth, sport and nature protection.

The Armenian cochairman of the commission, transport and communication
minister Andranik Manukian, said there are many obstacles to boosting
bilateral contacts, the main, according to him, is the absence of a
direct air communication between the two countries. He said officials
on both sides could not agree which country’s carrier should operate
the flight because air companies consider it unprofitable.

The Bulgarian cochairman, Nikolay Vasilev, who is a deputy minister
of state management and administrative reforms, said unlike strong
political ties, economic contacts between the two nations are
very weak. He said last year the bilateral trade amounted to only
$85 million, of which $6-7 million were Armenian exports. Andranik
Manukian underscored boosting relations with Bulgaria because in 2007
January 1 it is set to become an EU member.