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On November 6 in the National Assembly the 23^rd sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the RA National Assembly and the RF Federal Assembly began.

The RA National Assembly President Hovik Abrahamyan had a welcoming word:

“Dear Nikolay Ivani,

Dear participants of the sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee,

I greet you on the occasion of the 23^rd sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

We have repeatedly touched upon the high effectiveness of the activity of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee, which is really, obvious. I would like to note the importance of today’s sitting, which testifies to the high level of cooperation between the two countries.

Today our two states are standing before serious challenges, which may be overcome only due to joint efforts based on mutually agreed decisions and purposeful actions. Today, Armenia is initiating a process of fulfillment of new projects, and in that a special role is reserved to the RA National Assembly. I am sure that the parliamentary format of the Armenian-Russian multi-sphere cooperation will also have an essential contribution to the elaboration of new legislative acts.

Armenia’s intention to join the Customs Union supposes urgent discussion and the inclusion of the issues, in fact, not only of bilateral character, demanding optimal decision in the agenda of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee. As you remember, the beginning of this process has been laid during the previous sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee held in Belgorod, which certainly, had a positive impact on making such political decision by Armenia.

It is accepted that the role of transport is usually observed in the economic development of the country in terms of the role in the development of trade, but the globalization modified that viewpoint. Today, the capability of the country, especially, landlocked countries, is greatly conditioned by the availability of qualified transport and degree of development of communicative sub-structures, which gives an opportunity to enter into regional and world trade system.

In this context the solution of transport problems is of special importance for Armenia and Russia, taking into account the absence of common border between the two countries. In our case the problems connected with the elimination of transport communications blockade have an essential significance in terms of economic cooperation between our two countries. They have repeatedly been included in the agenda of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee, and in the context of today’s political and economic realities they are of prior character.

Today’s sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee is dedicated to the discussion of this hard problem. This once again testifies to the parliamentarians’ concern towards economic cooperation of our two countries. I am glad that the representatives of executive bodies also take part in today’s sitting.

Dear colleagues, I heartily wish you fruitful work and new success in your further activities.”

The Co-Chairs of the Committee Hermine Naghdalyan and Nikolay Rizhkov delivered opening speeches.

Welcoming the participants of the sitting Hermine Naghdalyan has expressed hope that the works of the 23^rd sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation, which mainly relate to the problems of the improvement of transport communication between Russia and Armenia, would be effective, the sitting will be distinguished by the guideline proposals of the solution of the problem, as the transport communication is the most important factor of the development of trade-economic relations, the increase of the trade turnover and goods transportation of the two countries.

Highlighting the normal work of the inter-state transport communication, introducing the existing viewpoints on the transport alternative ways and means, Nikolay Rizhkov has expressed conviction that the most effective solution of the problem continues to remain the re-operation of the railway transport. To his assessment, the solution of the problem is not only conditioned by the financial, but also political factors and demands serious efforts from the political leadership of the countries. At present he has assessed the possibility of the solution of the problem more feasible, conditioned by the approaches of the Georgian new authorities. Nikolay Ryzhkov also has touched upon the 16-year activity of the Committee, the works done and expressed hope that these discussions will be an important stimulus for the improvement of the transport communication between the two countries, especially when the representatives of the transport sphere of the executive bodies, which will present the existing situation and the opportunities of the sphere improvement, are present at the sitting.

The RA Deputy Minister of Transport and Communication Artashes Avetisyan, the RF Deputy Minister of Transport Sergey Aristov and the Acting General Director of the South Caucasian CJSC Sergey Valko had delivered speeches on the theme “The Problem of Transport Communication between Russia and Armenia.” They touched upon the effective work of the transport system as an important condition for economic security of Armenia and Russia, state policy of the two countries implemented in the transport sphere, necessity of upgrading the transport system, improvement of the legal regulation of the sphere, reforms made in Southcaucasian railway transport, increase of goods turnover between the two countries by air, water, land transport, use of the opportunities of the goods transportation, the necessity of refunctioning of the railway communication from Abkhazia through the territory of Georgia and the possibility of building a direct railway between Armenia and Iran.

The speakers also answered the deputies’ questions.

The Committee decided to create a working group for thoroughly studying the problems and opportunities of the transport sphere and submitting recommendations on the improvement of the sphere.

The Chairman of the Local Producers’ Union Vazgen Safaryan awarded Nikolay Ryzhkov a gold medal by the Union in connection with the great contribution in strengthening of the Armenian-Russian relations, support shown to the producers and the 85^th birth anniversary.

The Committee will conduct the next sitting in Nizhny Novgorod in June 2014.