Armenia accounts for 6.8% of visits to GeorgiaApril 3, 2012 - 14:17 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Visits to Georgia by foreign citizens in the first quarter of 2012 increased by 39.4% year-to-year, reaching 677,278, according to official figures released on April 2 by Georgian Interior Ministry, which is in charge of border management. Number of visits by foreign citizens to Georgia stood at 2.8 million in 2011 up by 39% over the previous year, according to these figures. According to geotimes.ge, Turkish citizens made up the largest share in total visits (14.7%) to Georgia in January-March 2012, followed by Azerbaijani (10.7%), Armenian (6.8%) and Russian (2.6%) citizens. In late February Georgia unilaterally lifted visa rules for the Russian citizens. According to Georgian Interior Ministry, the move was reflected in increase of number of visits made by the Russian citizens to Georgia in March. According to these figures 6,192 visits were made by the Russian citizens to Georgia in March 2012 against only 2,163 in March 2011. Visits from Iran, whose citizens do not require Georgian visa since last January either, almost doubled in the first quarter of 2012 to over 9,000. There was a 15.1% y/y increase in number of visits made to Georgia by citizens from EU-member states in January-March 2012 reaching 8,343, followed by Ukrainian citizens with 4,358, a 11.7% y/y increase. Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | U.S. warns Georgia not to side with Moscow against the west Georgia has been warned by the U.S. not to become an adversary of the west by falling back in line with Moscow. Power of One Dram sums up two-year program with Teach for Armenia Idram Junior also joined the companies during the visit, bringing with it a fascinating intellectual game for children Moscow slams EU mission in Armenia for “provocative activity” The EU mission is doing more and more against Armenia’s neighbors Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, Mikhail Galuzin said. Yerevan Mayor to travel to Paris on May 15-19 The official delegation headed by Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan will travel to Paris from May 15 to 19. |