Armenia-Russian Sverdlovsk region trade turnover exceeds 1.6 billion
drams in 2008

YEREVAN, February 20. /ARKA/. Trade turnover between Armenia and
Russia’s Sverdlovsk region rose 24% to over 1.6bln drams, Robert
Harutyunyan, General Director of Armenian Development Agency (ADA),
said today in Yerevan during a roundtable with the Sverdlovsk
delegation.

Appreciating greatly of bilateral cooperation, Harutyunyan stressed the
importance of Sverdlovsk Governor Eduard Rossel’s latest visit to
Armenia and the Armenian delegation’s visits to the Russian region.

According to ADA, Armenian exports to Sverdlovsk fell 7.2% year-on-year
to 327mln drams, whereas imports rose 35% to 1.3bln drams.

In the past three months, two ADA delegations and a delegation from
Armavir region discussed prospects of bilateral cooperation in the
fields of agriculture and reprocessing of agricultural goods.

Harutyunyan expressed a hope that bilateral visits would help establish
mutually beneficial contacts.
The ADA Director pointed out a number of difficulties in transport
communications between Armenia and Sverdlovsk, stressing the need for
establishing air communication and alternative routes trough Iran and
the Caspian Sea.

`Sverdlovsk region is a key route for Armenian exports to Russia,’
Harutyunyan said, adding the Sverdlovsk government has submitted a
cooperation development project for 2009-2010 to Armenia.
`We must sign it in order to have a specific cooperation plan for our
joint activities,’ the ADA Director said.

The delegation of Sverdlovsk region arrived in Armenia on February 19
on a five-day visit. The Russian delegates plan to visit Armenia’s
Armavir region and participate in the Bridge 2009 international
economic forum in Tsaghkadzor resort. `0–