Bilateral economic contacts have excellent opportunities, far exceeding their present scope, which is impressive, too-suffice it to mention close on 600 joint ventures and Armenian-based companies with Russian participation, most of them prosperous, said the President.
Russian-Armenian economic partnership is making good progress, especially in iron-and-steel and non-ferrous metal industries, construction and banking. Chemical industrial contacts are very promising, he added.
Mr. Kocharyan consented to become honoured association president. "If this is to be my initial contribution, I say yes," he replied to a request by Nikolai Ryzhkov, organising committee chief and member of the Federation Council, Russia's upper parliamentary house.
The association is a fruitful idea, and President Kocharyan is surprised just why no one has come on the idea before, what with both countries' ample attention to their economic links. Armenia will do all it can to get the association going, he pledged.
Expected to be established next month, the association had its organising committee maiden session in Moscow, April. It will promote bilateral social, economic, research and technological contacts, beneficial to either country. It has a solid tentative corporate membership-more than a hundred Russian-based companies and seventy Armenian have applied to join in for today.
A bilateral parliamentary commission for Russo-Armenian partnership, which Senator Ryzhkov co-chairs for Russia, is having its nearest session in Yerevan, June 2-3, he announced. The agenda is already determined, and will concern economic contacts.
The commission has 22 members on either side. Representing Russia are ten Senators and twelve members of the State Duma lower house.
