Armenian, Georgian prime ministers talk up bilateral cooperation
By Christina Tashkevich
The Messenger, Georgia
July 10 2006
The number of tourists coming to Georgia from Armenia has tripled,
Georgian Prime Minister said over the weekend in Batumi, while Armenian
investors are also expressing much more interest.
"We are seeing intensive developments in Georgian-Armenian trade
and economic relations. This is not only the tripling of Armenian
tourists, which brings an additional USD 15-20 million revenue to
the country compared with last year, but also we see the more active
interest of Armenian investors towards the Georgian economy," Zurab
Noghaideli said.
He met with Armenian Prime Minister, Andranik Margaryan, for the
fifth session of the Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental commission
on economic cooperation from June 7-10 in Batumi.
The sides discussed cooperation in the fields of agriculture, energy,
customs, transport and communication, education and tourism. The prime
ministers agreed to create a working group to discuss the possibility
of the reconstruction of the Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railway line.
Margaryan also said the Armenian government is ready to contribute
to rehabilitation programmes for the Javakheti region, which borders
Armenia and is 90 percent populated by ethnic Armenians. He said
Armenia agreed to participate in the reconstruction of several
educational facilities in Javakheti.
The Armenian side noted that an important contribution to the
improvement of relations between the two countries was the abolition
of road tax this spring. All types of transport entering Armenia from
Georgia no longer pay taxes, in line with a decision reached by the
governments this spring.
Previously, owners of public and cargo vehicles needed to pay between
USD 200-280, while owners of other cars USD 18-20 to pass from Georgian
territory into Armenia.
The forth session of the commission was held in last September
in Yerevan.
Both Georgia and Armenia note that several decisions taken at the
session last year have already been fulfilled. The governments signed
agreements on car communication between countries, on a joint crackdown
on car hijacking, and recently opened rail link Yerevan-Tbilisi-Batumi.