KOCHARIAN NOTED IMPORTANCE OF ARMENIA-GEORGIA ENERGY COOPERATION

PanARMENIAN.Net - Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli, who arrived in Armenia for the participation in the 4-th sitting of the Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, RA President's press center reported. Presenting the outcomes of the Yerevan sitting to Robert Kocharian the Georgian Premier stated that mutually beneficial decisions were taken on most of the issues of the agenda. During the meeting Robert Kocharian and Zurab Nogaideli discussed cooperation in energy, transport and customs fields paying special attention to export of Armenian energy to Georgia. Taking into account the developing tendency of the Armenian-Georgian tourism cooperation, the parties stressed the necessity of creating new transport facilities including Yerevan-Tbilisi and Yerevan-Batumi flights as well as Yerevan-Batumi railway communication. The interlocutors also touched upon the possibilities of preventing contraband circulation of goods. In their words, though the amount of contraband has been considerably reduced, the problem still remains unsettled. Besides, they discussed social and economic cooperation in the Armenian-inhabited Samtskhe Javakheti region of Georgia. According to Nogaideli, the Georgian government intends to launch a five-year project targeted at highway repair with the funds allocated within Millennium Challenge Account framework. Moreover, the Georgian government is going to work out programs for the Armenian-speaking population of the region and take active part in the construction of schools in Javakhetia.