YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The 6th sitting of the Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation was held at the Reception House of the Government of the RA on October 15. NT was informed by the RA Government Information and PR Department that the commission discussed issues related to execution of the decisions taken at the previous sitting, the current state and development prospects of the legal and contractual basis between the sides, prospects of economic development, as well as cooperation in energy, transport, agriculture, health care and social security, finance, education and culture, environmental protection, tourism, customs sphere. The commission took notice of the information on execution of the decisions taken at the previous sitting, noting with satisfaction that in the indicated period the sides have done work on further promotion of trade and economic relations between Armenia and Georgia, most of the instructions have been carried out, while the rest are at the implementation stage. The commission instructed the ministries and departments of the two sides to take the appropriate measures to ensure execution of decisions of the 5th sitting fully and to inform the co-chairmen about results. As for the current state and development of the legal and contractual basis between the two countries, the commission noted with satisfaction that during the sitting the Agreement on Administrative Mutual Assistance in Customs Affairs and the Protocol on Order of Cooperation in Exchange of Customs Statistical Information between the State Customs Committee adjunct to the RA government and the Georgian ministry of finance were signed. The commission took into consideration that the work on the agreement between the Armenian government and the Georgian government on air comminication is continuing, and the foreign ministries of the two countries, the RA Main Department of Civil Aviation, and the Georgian ministry of economic development were instructed to brisk up the preparatory work for signing these documents. In connection with the protocol on making amendments in the agreement on free trade of August 14, 1995, the foreign ministries of the two countries, the RA ministry of trade and economic development, and the Georgian ministry of economic development were instructed to brisk up the preparatory work for agreeing on these documents and their signing by late 2007. The commission underlined the urgency of coordinating the positions of the sides in the issue of "mutual recognition and protection of geographic marks (names of goods' places of origin) - in accordance with the norms and principles of the World Trade Organization, and instructed the Armenian and Georgian foreign ministries, the RA ministry of trade and economic development, the Georgia ministry of economic development to start the preparatory work on coordinating the respective draft agreement and signing it by the governments of the two countries. The Georgian side was commissioned to pass the draft agreement to the Armenian side by December 1, 2007. Procceding from the importance of solving the current problems of the energy sector in a most comprehensive and coordinated way and the necessity of the Armenian and Georgian energy systems' working in parallel, and taking into account the parallel work of power supply system of Georgia and Russia, as well as of Armenia and Iran, the Armenian side was instructed to prepare the respective draft agreements and transfer them to the Georgian side by late 2007. The sides also agreed on the tax legislation and the expediency of signing a new intergovernmental agreement on cooperation and mutual assistance in the fight against violations in this sphere, which will replace the agreements signed in 1997. The RA State Tax Service and the Georgian ministry of finance were instructed to prepare the respective draft agreement. The sides took into consideration the information that the Armenian side will pass to the Georgian side the prepared draft agreements on cooperation between the Armenian and Georgian governments in veterinary service and plant quarantine. It was decided to instruct the foreign ministries and the agriculture ministries of the two countries to brisk up the preparatory work on signing of these documents. The commission pointed out that as a result of activities of the respective state commissions of the two sides on demarcation of the state border between Armenia and Georgia, the sides have come to an agreement on a border line of 150 km, and the work on the remaining 5 border sections of the total length of 75 km is underway. The commission decided to propose that the delimitation commissions of the two sides continue their work with the aim of reaching mutually acceptable agreements. It was decided to instruct the foreign and defence ministries of Georgia to discuss (upon receiving from the Armenian side) the draft agreement between the two countries on interstate military transportation for needs of the armed forces of Armenia and Georgia, and then to submit its proposals. Discussing the issues of trade and economic cooperation between Armenia and Georgia, the commission took notice of the fact that bilateral external trade turnover is growing and in January-August 2007 the indices were equal to those in the year 2006. The efficient cooperation between the chambers of commerce and industry of the two countries was pointed out. Particularly, in 2006 an exhibition was held in Tbilisi with the participation of the Georgian chamber of commerce and industry and the Business Center of Assistance to Business Women adjunct to the RA Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Armneian side informed the Georgian side about successful testing of "Zenith" antihail system and expressed a willingness to provide full information about it. The commission took into consideration that in the indicated period the Armenian Development Agency carried out some work on advertizing goods of national producers and mutual supply of goods to markets of the two countries. The Armenian ministries of trade and economic development, finance, transport and communication, the RA State Customs Committee, the State Tax Service and the Georgian ministries of economic development and finance, as well as interested ministries and departments of the two sides were instructed to brisk up the work on further development of trade and economic cooperation with the aim of increasing the commodity turnover and attracting investments. In connection with the problem of developing cooperation in tourism sector, it was noted that this process is also proceeding successfully. Particularly, the Armenian side took part in the annual tourism fair CTF-2007 in Georgia in April 2007 and in the international conference Turkom in Tbilisi on September 24-27. The sides stated with satisfaction that in 2007, the number of tourists to Armenia and Georgia has significantly grown. The commission instructed the interested ministries and departments of the two sides to continue cooperation in the tourism sector by exchanging information and advertising material on tourism opportunities of Armenia and Georgia, participating in exhibitions and fairs on tourism in these countries. The sides were also told to cooperate with the aim of attracting Armenian and Georgian investments for construction of tourist facilities in Armenia and Georgia. Addressing problems of cooperation in the transport sector, the sides expressed their satisfaction over the fact that a stable growth in motor and railway commodity transportation between the two countries has been observed. Taking into account the fact that considerable part of Armenian goods is transported through the territory of Georgia via the ports of Poti and Batumi, the Armenian side proposed discussing the opportunity to apply jointly to international financial institutions for financing the reconstruction of Yerevan - Gyumri- Ninotsminda - Akhaltskha - Shuakhevi - Batumi motorway, which will allow to reduce the route of bilateral cargo transportation. The Armenian ministry of transport and communication and the Georgian ministry of economic development were instructed to discuss the opportunity to apply to international financial institutions on this issue. The commission assigned the sides to regularly exchange information about organization of new ferry links via Poti and Batumi and to discuss the issue of resuming regular air communication by Yerevan - Tbilisi - Yerevan and Yerevan - Batumi - Yerevan flights. In order to ensure continuous cargo transportation between Georgia and Armenia, the respective departments of the two sides were instructed to develop measures for improving the technical state of Ayrum railway station and increasing its carrying capacity, while customs bodies were told to discuss the issues of reducing the duration of customs functions and developing a single coordinated principle of work. The importance of cooperation in the energy sector was emphasized at the sitting. The commission took into consideration that during the meeting of the energy ministers of Armenia, Georgia and Iran in September 29, 2006, a mutual understanding memorandum was signed, by which the sides confirmed their willingness to continue work for ensuring parallel operation of the power energy systems of their countries. In connection with construction of the Armenia-Georgia 400 kv high-voltage line, it was noted that according to the decision taken at the previous sitting of the commission, the Georgian side started construction and repairs of this line in the territory of Georgia. Reconstruction work in the 75 km section of the line has been finished. The Georgian side spoke about the possibility of completing the construction of a 18 km section by late 2008. The design of the Armenian section of the Armenia-Georgia 400 kv high-volatge line has been submitted for environmental examination. The appropriate draft decision will soon be presented to the Armenian government for discussion with the aim of determing the schedule of construction. The commission took notice of the information that the sides have had a number of meetings on the legal registration issue of the Ashotsk - Ninotsminda transmission line but the issue remains unsettled due to some difficulties. The sides were instructed to hold additional discussions and submit proposals for solution of this issue. For the purpose of forming an attractive investment environment between the two sides, the commission considered it important to bring the fiscal legislation of the sides into line with each other and instructed the Armenian and Georgian finance ministers to set up a joint working group with this aim by late 2007. Issues of Armenian-Georgian cooperation in health care and social security, education, culture, environmental protection, customs sphere were also discussed at the sitting, with respective decisions being made. It was decided to hold the next - 7th sitting of the commission in Tbilisi in 2008. At the conclusion of the sitting, the Armenian prime minister Serge Sargsian made a summary speech, in which he stated with satisfaction that the 6th sitting of the commission passed successfully and in an atmosphere of mutual understanding. He expressed confidence that the execution of the commission's decisions will have a great contribution to the extension and deepening of economic and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries. The prime minister expressed his gratitude to the delegation members and experts of the two sides for the work they have done and wished them success in their further activities. On the same day the document signing ceremony took place at the Reception House of the Armenian government. The Armenian prime minister Serge Sargsian and the Georgian prime minister Zurab Noghaideli signed the protocol of the 6th sitting of the Armenian-Georgian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation. The Agreement on Administrative Mutual Assistance in Customs Affairs and the Protocol on Order of Cooperation in Customs Statistical Information Exchange between the RA State Customs Committee and the Georgian ministry of finance were signed. These documents were signed by the chairman of the RA State Customs Committee Armen Avetisian and the deputy head of the revenues service of the Georgian ministry of finance Irakli Siradze. A joint press conference of the Armenian and Georgian prime ministers took place after the signing ceremony. During his working visit, the Georgian prime minister met with the Armenian president Robert Kocharian. The delegation headed by the Georgian prime minister Z. Noghaideli leaves for Tbilisi on October 16.

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