CO-CHAIRMEN OF ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION DISCUSS BILATERAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS
Arka News Agency, Armenia
March 6 2007
YEREVAN, March 5. /ARKA/. Co-Chairmen of the Armenian-Russian
Intergovernmental Commission, RA Minister of Defense Serge Sargsyan
and RF Minister or Transport Igor Levitin have discussed in Moscow
the bilateral cooperation.
The Radio Liberty reports that the sides discussed issues related
to the operation of the Armenian enterprises transferred to Russia
against Armenia’s national debt, as well as the operation of the
Poti-Caucasus ferry service.
At a meeting with journalists, Minister Levitin expressed his
dissatisfaction with the implementation of the "Property against
Debt" program.
According to him, the plants are not actually operating and can start
operating if they get orders. "It is Russia that must place orders,"
he said.
Minister Levitin and Minister Sargsyan expressed the opinion that the
Verkhny Lars check-point at the Russian-Georgian border will not be
re-opened in the near future. The RA Minister of Defense believes that
the Caucasus-Poti ferry boat can replace the Verkhny Lar check-point.
According to him, negotiations for the re-opening of not only the
railway, but also the motor way communication are being conducted now.
Sagsyan also stated a high probability of construction of an oil
refinery in Armenia.
"When we initiated other projects a few years ago, many people
considered them unfeasible. Nobody could think that we would be able
to construct the Iran-Armenia gas main in cooperation with Gasprom.
But it is actuality, and the gas main will soon be commissioned,"
Sargsyan said.
He stressed that the gas main cannot be used for gas transit, but it
is of paramount importance for Armenia.
The Russian "Komersant" newspaper reports that "Gasprom Oil" is
considering the possibility of constructing an oil refinery with an
annual capacity of 7mln tons in Armenia. The project is estimated at
$1.7bln, with the transport infrastructure estimated at $1bln.