Wednesday, 3 November 2004
Today RA Prime Minister A. Margaryan has received the delegation headed by Mr. Gennady Fadeyev, President of RF Russian Railways OJSC, who is in Armenia on a working visit to discuss issues bearing on the cooperation in the field of railway communications.
In welcoming the president of the largest Russian transport company and the members of his delegation, Prime Minister A. Margaryan mentioned the importance of boosting the cooperation in the area of railway communications in respect of developing bilateral economic and commercial exchanges and increasing the level of commodity circulation between the two countries. The two sides acknowledged that both Russian Railways and Armenian Railway had vast potentialities that went unavailed for the lack of direct railway communication between Armenia and Russia. By stressing the importance of ensuring peace and stability in the region through negotiated conflict settlement and development of economic cooperation between the States, the parties placed a special focus upon the resumption of regular transport communications. "This is vital to us, and we are interested in a possibly expedited solution of the problem. The Armenian government stands ready to take practical steps towards this end," Mr. A. Margaryan said.
President of Russian Railways Gennady Fadeyev has stressed that the re-opening of direct railway communication was in Russia's interest, too, and that his delegation had arrived in Armenia precisely to make arrangements concerning such practical steps. While acknowledging the key role of a political will to be displayed by national governments, he pointed out to an eventual contribution on the part of private companies. He advised, in particular, that a joint declaration of intent was going to be signed by Ararat Khrimyan, Head of Armenian Railway CJSC and himself. In accordance with that document, an Armenian-Russian joint venture was to be set up in the field of cargo traffic. An arrangement had been reached regarding the establishment of a task force for the development of the organizational, technical, financial and economic concepts of the future company. Later on, according to him, a draft agreement would be tabled on bilateral cooperation in the area of organizing railway communications between Armenia and Russia.
During the meeting, Prime Minister A. Margaryan and President of Russian Railways Gennady Fadeyev noted that not only would the resumption of railway communication help increase the level of lower-cost goods turnover between the two countries, but it could also facilitate the restoration of passenger traffic from Yerevan to Moscow, Rostov and other major cities of Russia.
