6 minute read
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan gave interview to the Armenian Public Television.
- Mr Prime Minister, within the framework of the state visit of the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev a number of agreements have been signed between the two countries , including on construction of new energy units in the Armenian atomic plant. What does this agreement suppose, what kind of nuclear plant will we have?
- First of all I would like to remind that the president of the republic stated that we will build new nuclear unit and its power will be 1000 megawatt. The contract signed with the Russian Federation supposes that our Russian partners will participate in the construction of the nuclear plant and will have direct investments. According to preliminary assessment, the program supposes investments reaching to 5 billion USD. Our Russian partners will too participate in the investment program: it is the essence of the program. We will cooperate with our partners, there will be new configuration, new project after which we will present more detailed information to the public on how the plant will be. But it is obvious that the construction of the nuclear plant supposes the qualitative reform of the energy system. It will be a contemporary nuclear plant which will essentially increase the powers of electricity produced in Armenia. It means that in general, our industry will have good prospects of development.
- Mr Prime Minister, as the co-chair of the Armenian-Russian inter-governmental commission will you present us the issues involved in the agenda?
- I would like to draw your attention on two peculiarities which are characteristic of the work of the inter-governmental commission. First, we are trying to extend the sphere of cooperation. It is necessary to diversify our economies and it means that our agenda too must be diversified – new issues must be included, issues which suppose modernization of economies, implementation of new joint innovation programs. The second peculiarity is that we are paying great attention to the direct ties between the Armenian and Russian provinces which results in signing of contract between them and their cooperation becomes very concrete.
- Mr Prime Minister our citizens complain of the quality of services provided by the “South Caucasian Railways” company. Will you present the prospects of Armenian-Russian cooperation in the railway sphere, especially in case that Mr Medvedev states that the investments promised by the Russian side must be fully made?
- Yes, at the plenary session RF Minister of Transport Igor Levitin reported on the issue, pointing out that during the 2010 the Russian side will fully implement the investment program as during the past two years there was a reduction of volumes that the program was not being implemented in the part of concession investments. The Russian side assumed a commitment that in 2010 they will carry out the whole investment program. First, an attention will be paid to the improvement of the engine so that our citizens feel the real improvement. Of course the increase of the road quality is also important as a result of which the passenger transportation will be speedier, which is also important. And the third one is the applying of new management model which will increase the efficiency of management so that no issues connected with selling of tickets will raise.
- The 20th anniversary of Declaration of Armenia’s Independence is marked August 23. You were a parliamentarian at that time. Will you present your impressions twenty years after?
- These 20 years passed as a moment – full of intense developments and time is necessary for us to be able to assess the historic significance of both the declaration and many political decisions adopted by the Supreme Council. One thing is obvious, a basis is being laid for the newly independent state and I think it was the declaration that laid the main basis on which we have built our whole legislative field. The Declaration had an essential role in determining the ways of development of our country and its strategy.
- Would you like to relive those times?
- It is a very difficult issue as always when we are speaking of reliving you are thinking what mistakes you would not have done, what flaws you would have filled, what tragic events it would have been possible to bypass and naturally, it gives room for philosophic thinking.