10-TH MEETING OF ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN INTERPARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION TO BE HELD IN MOSCOW IN OCTOBER

PanARMENIAN.Net - The 9-th session of the Armenian-Russian Interparliamentary Cooperation Commission finished in Yerevan. The Commission is co-chairs by Vice-Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Vahan Hovhannisian and member of the Russian Council of the Federation Nikolay Ryzhkov, reported Regnum news agency. The Russian delegation included 7 deputies of the State Duma, 4 Senators, a large delegation of entrepreneurs from the Southern Federal Region. The agenda included issues referring to the functioning of Armenian enterprises, conveyed to Russia to pay off the state debt, as well as the economic cooperation of Russian regions, specifically the Southern Federal Region with Armenia. In the course of the final press conference N. Ryzhkov noted that harsh discussion was held over the fate of the Armenian enterprises, especially Mars plant and the three research institutes. Mutual pretensions were expressed. In his words, the issue is a political one. The parties stated there are some legal issues that have to be solved by respective Russian ministries. In the words of the Armenian Co-Chair Vahan Hovhannisian, in the course of the session it turned out that Russian businessmen have serious comprehension over the degree of liberty and monopoly in the Armenian economy, which forms certain risks for investing and the presence of Russian business at the Armenian market. The Armenian party promised to inform the Russian party on the state of affairs at the local market, having secured the information of the Anti-Monopoly Commission of Armenia. Besides, in V. Hovhannisian's words, the Armenian party has proposed to consider the option of passing part of the shares of these enterprises to private companies if the Russian state is not able to secure orders and investments to these. At the same time, as noted by Hovhannisian, these events mainly refer to the military industrial complex and the Russian legislation does not provide for sending orders of that kind to enterprises outside Russia. Within the context of economic cooperation of subjects of the Russian Federation with Armenia the parties touched upon communication problems, specifically the ferry and railway communication. In Nikolay Ryzhkov's words, the Commission insists that the Kavkaz port-Poti ferry passage start operating permanently on August 2005. He also informed that the ferry was only launched as a trial lately. At that Ryzhkov stated that under the conditions of absence of railway communication between Armenia and Russia Armenian entrepreneurs have found alternative ways for exporting and importing goods, specifically through Iran, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria. "It formed a certain price policy and it is difficult to turn it back, however it is necessary, we have the task of loading the ferry, to provide it with cargo," he noted. Ryzhkov also emphasized that it is necessary to provide for the political solution of the available problems to resume the rail communication via Abkhazia. The parties agreed to hold the 10th sitting of the Armenian-Russian Interparliamentary Commission in Moscow in October, 2005 and to discuss humanitarian issues, specifically education and science problems. It should be noted that the sitting of the Association of the Armenian-Russian Business Cooperation (ARADES) will be held in Yerevan today.