NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ARMENIA RECEIVES VICE PRESIDENT OF WORLD BANK
Economic News
December 20, 2007 Thursday
Yerevan. OREANDA-NEWS . On December 14, 2007 Mr. Tigran Torosyan,
President of the National Assembly, received the World Bank Vice
President for Europe and Central Asia Region Mr. Shigeo Katsu. Mr.
Aristomene Varudakis, World Bank Armenia Country Manager attended
the meeting, reported the press-centre of National Assembly.
Mentioning the economic successes of Armenia in recent years, the
President of the National Assembly expressed his gratitude for the
support of the World Bank (WB) and the important role it had played
while achieving those successes.
The President of the Parliament presented Mr. Katsu in brief the
political and economic achievements of Armenia, referring to the
improvements of the second generation, the main goal of which is
the improvement of the state management system and the rise of the
peoples living standards. Mr. Torosyan highlighted in particular the
fighting against corruption, the provision of full, equal competition
in economic processes, collection of taxes and the solution of social
problems.
The NA President informed the officials from the World Bank also
that in RA law on 2008 State Budget passed by the National Assembly,
taxes-GDP ratio was increased by 2 per cent (compared with 0.3-0.4%
of the previous years), a problem, which was repeatedly highlighted
in the discussions of WB and International Monetary Fund (IMF),
which testifies the political will of the Armenian authorities.
The NA President expressed confidence that with that step, providing
an unprecedented high indicator of tax collection, the government
will have essential successes in fighting against shade economy and
corruption, and the execution of 2008 budget, the preconditions of
which exist, will make more pretentious the 2009 budget. Mr. Torosyan
emphasized in this context the solution of the social problems, noting
that after the re-establishment of independence the Armenian people,
who overcame numerous difficulties, deserve well-to-do life.
The NA President, referring to 2005 constitutional reforms, noted
that this gave possibility to create full mechanisms of checks and
balances between state management bodies, as well as legislative
bases of reforms judicial and local self-government systems. After
2008 presidential elections several provisions of political character
also will begin to function, which will complete the legislation and
will enable to call to life the reforms of the second generation.
The World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Region Mr.
Shigeo Katsu, who has been in Armenia for two years, expressed
satisfaction for the meetings in the state management system, with the
public and private sectors, and comparing his visit with the one two
years ago, noted that Armenia is rapidly developing. Expressing his
gratitude to the NA President for active and permanent cooperation
with the World Bank, Mr. Katsu said the WB had begun the elaboration
of the new strategy of the assistance to Armenia, and it is interested
in cooperation with parliament and NA President, expecting to have
its views.
At Mr. Katsus request, the NA President touched upon the perspectives
of Euro integration and regional cooperation, and noted that after
the membership with the Council of Europe Armenia considers the Euro
integration the priority of its foreign policy. As the NA President
assessed, Armenia is a part of European civilization and has the
same system of values, and simply due to historical circumstances,
being cut for a while from Europe, what caused its consequences.
While joining the Council of Europe the fulfillment of the undertaken
obligations and the conduct of the presidential elections in
accordance with democratic standards, will enable Armenia to put a
question on the end of 2008 last monitoring process and the beginning
of post-monitoring process. Its a path that passed the Baltic and
Eastern European countries that joined the European Union.
In the aspect of regional cooperation perspectives, the NA President
Mr. Tigran Torosyan reminded that Armenia is always ready for
cooperation with the neighbours, including Azerbaijan and Turkey,
proposing to let the existing problems to rest for a while and
cooperate without preconditions in other issues, but the neighbours
adopted other approach. Emphasizing the regional full cooperation,
which can bring qualitative changes, the NA President expressed
hope that in the nearest future Turkey and Azerbaijan will also
change their position, stopping the policy of Armenias blockade
and blackmail. Armenia will never allow to speak with constraint
or blackmail, said the NA President, adding that its time for
cooperation in the modern world, and those who dont understand that,
harm themselves: its not reasonable to pin hopes only on oil.
Agreeing with the NA Presidents views, Mr. Katsu noted that the
cooperation programs will be taken into account while discussing,
and said that very few countries succeeded to avoid the oil curse.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
