On November 9, 17th 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 was convened. Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan had a welcoming speech at the Inter-Parliamentary Committee.
“Dear Nikolai Ivanovich,
Dear committee members,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me greet you on the occasion of the opening of the seventeenth 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. I wish you fruitful work and success in that.
I would like to note the importance of holding this sitting, which once again ensures about the high level of cooperation and partnership of our countries.
The regular meetings of the Presidents of our states Mr. Serzh Sargsyan and Mr. Dimtry Medvedev, their dialogue in the atmosphere of mutual trust and friendship testify to the continuity of our relations and high level. Those relations, undoubtedly, are strategic and allied by their character and content.
The Armenian-Russian parliamentary cooperation is of important significance in strengthening and deepening the bilateral partnership. I am sure that the participants of this sitting in Yerevan were inspired with those kind goals and resoluteness.
The seventeenth sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee is held in the conditions of world financial-economic crisis, when the international community, including also our countries, confronts that hard challenge. It is only possible to overcome with joint, agreed decisions and actions, simply said, with united efforts. I am sure that as hard is the period, it’s all the same, it will end, and we’ll undertake the implementation of new, more voluminous programmes, which will rise our partnership to new, higher level.
Dear Russian friends I am glad to greet you once again in the Armenian country. In the Inter-Parliamentary Committee during the years of your work you have established warm, friendly relations with RA your counterparts. It is also our common wealth.
We are all glad to host again national hero of the Republic of Armenia dear Nikolay Ivanovich Ryzhkov, whose jubilee we marked recently. I congratulate once again the great friend of our people and wish him health, new successes and achievements.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me announce the seventeenth sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee open. I wish everybody effective work.”
Co-Chairman of the Russian side of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee Mr. Nikolai Ryzhkov said that by general consent the second issue of the agenda, which relates to the agreement of the foreign political activity of the parliaments of the two countries, will be moved to the agenda of the sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee, which will be held in Moscow in March. In this sitting the important issue on Bilateral Cooperation in the Sphere of Transport and Transportation will be discussed, which needs serious discussions and effective solution. In his assessment, in this sphere the proper work of the Armenian railway and its possible link with the Abkhaz railway, through it also with the Russian railway network, as well as the perspectives of joining the Iranian and Turkish railway networks was highlighted. Mr. Ryzhkov also reminded that next year will be the 65th
anniversary of the victory won during the Great Patriotic War and expressed hope that this important event in Russia and Armenia will be decently marked by relevant events, he asked the Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan to show support in this issue.
Co-Chairman of the Armenian side of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee Mr. Aram Safaryan touched upon the problem of transport, in particular, railway transportations, which is of vital importance for Armenia and said that a working group has been set up in the National Assembly led by NA deputy Mr. Volodya Badalyan for studying this sphere, and the results of the study will present the member of the
NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Mrs. Hermine Naghdalyan.
Mrs. Naghdalyan highlighted the role and importance of especially the cargo transportation by rail for the economy of Armenia being in the blockade and urged the counterparts and concerned sides to show heartfelt attitude and willingness for rectifying the shortcomings and gaps and effectively organizing the works of the sphere. She voiced the shortcomings that exist by concession treaty in the works of the South Caucasus Railway Company owning the Armenian railway. According to Mrs. Naghdalyan, the Company is obliged to apply the requirement of every item concerning the investment and price policy mentioned in the concession treaty. He also considered dangerous the red tape regarding the cargo transportation, the consequences of monopolizing the system, free and non-substantiated price policy and expressed hope that only the joint consecutive work can put order in the above-mentioned issues.
Director General of the South Caucasus Railways Mr. Shevket Shaidulin gave a speech on the same issue from the Russian side. He noted that the main goal of their company was to ensure the continuous effectiveness and financial stability, rise the quality of the transport service, develop the transport production and integrate into Euroasian transport system. He presented in detail the fulfilled repairing and technical upgrading works, the upcoming programmes, and the slowing down of the works conditioned by the hardships caused by financial-economic crisis, because of which the volume of the cargo transportations had been reduced, and the company works with damage. As he said, the concession treaty gives opportunity them to pursue flexible price policy, except the cargo transportations of strategic importance, which is the 60 per cent of the volume of the total cargo transportations. As he assessed, the necessity of the price policy also emerges when with new investments the quality of the service.
At the sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee issues of joining the Iranian and Turkish railways and increasing the volumes of cargo transportation, the perspectives of making them more effective, the restoration of the Russia-Armenia railway connection through Abkhazia, adoption of the laws providing the concession activity were also discussed.
The Inter-Parliamentary Committee decided to hold the next sitting in Moscow in March 2010.
On the same day before the beginning of sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee RA NA Speaker Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan and Co-Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation Between the RA National Assembly of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Mr. Nikolai Ryzhkov had a private talk.
The members of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation Between the RA National Assembly of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation laid a wreath and flowers in the Park of the National Assembly at the memorial perpetuating the memory of the victims of the crime of October 27, 1999.