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YEREVAN AND TBILISI: ABOVE ALLIANCES
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
March 11 2014
11 March 2014 - 10:33am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Armenia's membership in the Customs Union and Georgia's decision to
sign the association agreement with the EU on the free trade zone
will not prevent their bilateral cooperation. It was concluded as
a result of the first official visit to Armenia in late February by
the new President of Georgia Georgy Margvelashvili.
Members of the Georgian delegation met President of Armenia Serge
Sargsuan, Premier Tigran Sarkisyan, the speaker of the parliament
Ovik Abramyan, and Catholicos Garegin II. According to the talks it
became clear that relations between two countries have a potential
for development.
>From this point of view, it should be noted that the Agreement
on Free Trade Zone between Armenia and Georgia will continue its
operation even after Armenia's accession to the CU.
An exception will be Georgian goods only. Margvelashvili stated that
despite differences in political vectors of Armenia and Georgia,
Tbilisi and Yerevan have a common position on development of their
relations. Sargsyan said that appearance of such a new configuration
which combines participations in two opposite integration projects
would lead to new opportunities for businessmen from both countries.
In recent time Armenian-Georgian relations develop rapidly. It
means cooperation in the spheres of transport, energy, tourism, and
agriculture. Sargsyan emphasized a role of regional infrastructural
projects, considering them a guarantee of stability in the region. At
the end of the Yerevan talks Margvelashvili invited Sargsyan to
Tbilisi.
Despite absence of official information, relying on unofficial sources,
it should be noted that discussion of unblocking a through Abkhaz part
of the railroad, which hadn't been used since 1991, was a special
topic at the Yerevan talks. The part is strategically important for
Yerevan, considering the upcoming membership in the CU, as it would
enable Armenia to have direct contacts with the CU partners and the
future Eurasian Union.
Georgy Gvimadze, an expert of the Georgian Center for Strategic
Studies, recalled readiness of the Georgian government to discuss the
issue: "I think Georgia is able to spend $30 million to restore the
part of the railroad, which is under our control. Even though traffic
through Abkhazia won't bring benefits to Georgia, the project would
be politically positive, considering normalization of relations with
Abkhazia and Russia," the expert concluded.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/52437.html
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
March 11 2014
11 March 2014 - 10:33am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Armenia's membership in the Customs Union and Georgia's decision to
sign the association agreement with the EU on the free trade zone
will not prevent their bilateral cooperation. It was concluded as
a result of the first official visit to Armenia in late February by
the new President of Georgia Georgy Margvelashvili.
Members of the Georgian delegation met President of Armenia Serge
Sargsuan, Premier Tigran Sarkisyan, the speaker of the parliament
Ovik Abramyan, and Catholicos Garegin II. According to the talks it
became clear that relations between two countries have a potential
for development.
>From this point of view, it should be noted that the Agreement
on Free Trade Zone between Armenia and Georgia will continue its
operation even after Armenia's accession to the CU.
An exception will be Georgian goods only. Margvelashvili stated that
despite differences in political vectors of Armenia and Georgia,
Tbilisi and Yerevan have a common position on development of their
relations. Sargsyan said that appearance of such a new configuration
which combines participations in two opposite integration projects
would lead to new opportunities for businessmen from both countries.
In recent time Armenian-Georgian relations develop rapidly. It
means cooperation in the spheres of transport, energy, tourism, and
agriculture. Sargsyan emphasized a role of regional infrastructural
projects, considering them a guarantee of stability in the region. At
the end of the Yerevan talks Margvelashvili invited Sargsyan to
Tbilisi.
Despite absence of official information, relying on unofficial sources,
it should be noted that discussion of unblocking a through Abkhaz part
of the railroad, which hadn't been used since 1991, was a special
topic at the Yerevan talks. The part is strategically important for
Yerevan, considering the upcoming membership in the CU, as it would
enable Armenia to have direct contacts with the CU partners and the
future Eurasian Union.
Georgy Gvimadze, an expert of the Georgian Center for Strategic
Studies, recalled readiness of the Georgian government to discuss the
issue: "I think Georgia is able to spend $30 million to restore the
part of the railroad, which is under our control. Even though traffic
through Abkhazia won't bring benefits to Georgia, the project would
be politically positive, considering normalization of relations with
Abkhazia and Russia," the expert concluded.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/52437.html