YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–A regular meeting of the co-chairmen of the Armenian-Russian Commission for Economic Cooperation Serge Sargsian and Ilya Klebanov will take place in Moscow on August 31–according to Armenia’s Defense Minister Serge Sargsian.
The minister stressed that the working groups with the commission must finish their projects so that "we could sign concrete agreemen’s and make concrete decisions during the visit of Russia’s president to Armenia in late September."
The minister emphasized that the working groups are discussing issues concerning the transfer of enterprises to the Russia or establishment of Russian-Armenian joint ventures. "It makes no difference for us who these enterprises belong to–a businessman from Russia or Los Angeles–the main thing is that these enterprises are working," the minister underlined. Sargsian also said that regardless of what type of enterprises that transfer–"the Russian side will certainly have to make investmen’s in these enterprises."
When asked why the government of Armenia does not put these enterprises up for an open tender–the minister said–"Each state decides independently how to develop its industry. At this point we’ve made such a decision. The most important thing for us is that these enterprises should work and that those already working should increase their output."