What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
February 7, 2008 Thursday
RUSSIAN GIFTS TO ARMENIA: SEA, ATOM, AND OLYMPIC GAMES
by Pyotr Netreba
BACKED BY RUSSIA, PRIME MINISTER SERZH SARKISJAN WILL CERTAINLY
BECOME THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA
Victor Zubkov flew to Yerevan on the eve of the presidential election
in Armenia slated for February 19. The visit began with a meeting
with Serzh Sarkisjan, Zubkov’s opposite number and candidate for
president. The Russian delegation is stone-cold confident that
Sarkisjan will win the election. "Continuity of the current trends in
the Russian-Armenian relations should be assured," a Russian official
was quoted as saying.
Armenian diaspora in Russia numbers nearly 2 million. Private
transactions from Russia to Armenia annually amount to $1 billion –
equalling sum total of Russian investments in Armenian economy
throughout years of cooperation. Russian capitals control nearly all
major economic objects in Armenia and objects of the financial
infrastructure, transportation, and communications. Inter RAO EES for
example runs the Sevan-Razdan Hydropower Project and Razdan Thermal
Power Plant, Gazprom manages ArmGazprom, and Russian Railroads took
over their Armenian analog barely a year ago.
Zubkov did his bit for the Russian expansion into Armenia, yesterday.
Sergei Kirienko of Rosatom accompanying Zubkov said the negotiations
were mostly centered around construction of a new nuclear power plant
in Armenia in 2010-2011 (the one Armenia has these days is old, to be
shut down in 2011). According to Kirienko, Russia’s chances of
winning the forthcoming international contest are fine. In any event,
the future nuclear power plant in Armenia will never find itself
short of fuel. A memorandum was signed on the Russian-Armenian joint
venture for geologic exploration and uranium mining in Armenia.
Russia and Armenia will have equal shares (50%) in the new outfit.
Kirienko recalled the first Russian expeditions to Armenia in 2007
that estimated uranium resources there at about 30,000 tons.
Transportation Minister Igor Levitin came up with a new idea of
including Armenia, a country without access to the sea, in the
would-be Black Sea Ring route. The project promoted by Russia
stipulates regular ferry runs after 2010-2011 between Varna in
Bulgaria, Kavkaz in Russia, Ilyichevsk in Ukraine, Poti in Georgia,
and Istanbul in Turkey. Armenia was advised to organize cargo traffic
via Poti (something the Georgians will have to be talked into yet).
Levitin in the meantime did not think that problematic relations
between Russia and Georgia would spell trouble for Armenia’s
participation in the project.
Along with everything else, Zubkov praised Armenian-made cement and
said it would probably be used in construction in Sochi where objects
for the future Olympic Games were already being built.
Sarkisjan kept saying in the meantime that no matter how important
solution to transport and other problems was, cordial relations with
Russia took precedence over everything else. "Being friends with
Russia benefits Armenia, and Russian capitals feel comfortable here
in Armenia," he said.
Source: Kommersant, February 7, 2008, p. 2
Translated by Aleksei Ignatkin