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`YOU FORGET THAT I AM THE MAYOR OF MOSCOW’
[06:50 pm] 23 March, 2007

`I approve of the words of RF and RA Presidents; Russia is Armenia’s
number one economic partner’, Ervand Zakharyan, Mayor of Yerevan City,
announced during the inauguration of the House of Moscow in Yerevan.

To note, tomorrow Ervand Zakharyan will participate in the opening
ceremony of a trade centre of Yerevan in Moscow together with his
Russian counterpart Yuri Luzhkov.

`The House of Moscow in Yerevan symbolizes not only the military
collaboration of the two countries, but also the level of new
relations between the countries after the collapse of the Soviet
Union. It is necessary to enhance political, economic, cultural and
human ties between the two countries under question’, Yuri Luzhkov
notes.

One of the journalists wondered why the construction works were
confined with Russian investments.

`You forget that I am the Mayor of Moscow. I can only speak in the
name of Moscow. Yerevan conducts its own policy. As for the foreign
investors, the question is beyond comment’», Yuri Luzhkov says.

Asked the question whether the mayor’s family intends to start
business in Armenia, Mr. Luzhkov said, `My wife has her own business
and I never intervene in her affairs. She is a successful
businesswoman. It is up to her to decide whatever she needs. I have
absolutely no influence on her affairs. I get informed from the press
what she has bought, sold, etc.’

To note, Yuri Luzhkov notices great changes in Armenia. `Yerevan has
become more beautiful. The number of new constructions has
increased. I like the fact that there are no casinos in the city
centre’, Yuri Luzhkov points out.