NEW LEVEL OF ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS
Haroutyun Gevorkyan
Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Oct 16 2007
Armenia
Yesterday, the delegation led by the Georgian Prime Minister Zourab
Noghaidely arrived in Yerevan on a two-day working visit. With the
purpose of participating in the 6th Session of Inter-Governmental
Committee of the Armenian-Georgian Economic Cooperation, the
Armenian-Georgian delegation also involved Alexander Khetagoury,
Energy Minister of Georgia, Irakli Ezougbaya, Chief Director of
"Georgian Railroads" Open Joint-Stock Company, Zourab Janjgava,
Chief Director of "Georgian Gas and Oil International Company",
representatives from all the Ministries of the Government.
Within the scope of the working visit, Zourab Noghaidely had meetings
and private discussions with President Robert Kocharyan and Serge
Sargsyan. He visited Tsitsernakaberd and laid a flower wreath on the
Genocide Memorial. He also visited the pantheon named after Komitas
and paid respects to the memory of former Prime Minister Andranik
Markaryan.
During the Armenian-Georgian Inter-Governmental Committee’s 6th
session held in the reception house of the Government, Serge Sargysan
and Zourab Noghaidely expressed confidence that they would solve the
existing problems in the field of the economic cooperation between
the two countries’. And the new agreements will promote the further
deepening of the mutually beneficial economic cooperation.
In a joint press-conference convened in the evening, after signing
the protocol of the Inter-Governmental Committee’s 6th session,
SERGE SARGSYAN and ZOURAB NOGHAIDELY gave a summary of the situation
existing in the sphere of inter-state economic cooperation.
The Armenian Prime Minister considered that ensuring streams of
investments from third countries is necessary and urgent for the
economic progress of the two neighboring counties. For solving this
important and decisive problem with joint efforts, Serge Sargsyan
made a proposal to create an attractive atmosphere for investments,
liven up all the interdepartmental activities and elaborate joint
economic programs.
According to the Prime Minister, "This type of activity has proved
successful in practice. The economic ties between Armenia and Georgia
are currently on a new, much higher level. If several years ago we
were concerned about the safe transportation of the goods entering
Armenia via the Georgian territory, our principal task now is to
create a common business area, forming a joint trade market. Armenia
and Georgia present small markets, taken separately. And together,
they can be interesting even for the big investors and companies
that have a world-wide coverage. We are not competitors, because
we produce goods of various typr. So we can supplement the demand
emerging in each others market."
Serge Sargsyan underscored that Zourab Noghaideli was the first foreign
Prime Minister he was receiving after taking over the responsibility
for the post of Prime Minister. "We have known each other for a long
time and are in close and permanent personal relations. This is not
the first time we meet, because both my Georgian colleague and I
have met many times as Ministers representing our Governments. Now
we are Prime Ministers, and we can strengthen the friendship between
the two countries and peoples due to our good work. And this is what
we will do, because we have unreserved trust in each other and make
everything serve for the interests of our peoples."
Expressing satisfaction with the current situation of the
Armenian-Georgian economic cooperation, the Georgian Prime Minister
underscored several points. "I think we have practically passed the
stage of the inter-state relations at which the existing problems
were being discussed. There were specific difficulties especially in
the field of economy, and we have already overcome them. Now we are
practically trying to make use our countries’ economic potentials
in a more comprehensive and effective manner, by way of elaborating
joint programs.
During this Committee Session we found solutions as to how Armenia
and Georgia should appear to big foreign investors as a joint trade
and investment area. I am sure our mutual economic cooperation will
stand out in terms of its unprecedented results."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
