TBILISI (Noyan Tapan)–"Issues connected with Javakhk and arousing great public interest in Georgia and Armenia must not become an arena for activities for various elemen’s," Georgia’s parliament chairman Zourab Zhvania said at a meeting with a delegation of the Armenian parliament led by vice-speaker of the National Assembly Yuri Bakhshian.
"This problem must become a topic of discussion by politicians since relations on parliamentary and government levels–which exist between the two countries–allow such discussions. Meanwhile–serious evaluation of these problems demonstrate that there exist no grounds for confrontation," Zhvania said.
Georgia-Armenia relations have entered a new stage–participants in a meeting Monday between Georgia’s State Minister Vazha Lordkipanidze and the Armenian said.
Both sides stressed successful cooperation between the two countries in the matter of implementation of the Eurasian Transport and Energy Corridor Project. Georgia expressed interest in Armenia’s active participation in this and other region-wide projects–said Lordkipanidze.
During the meeting with Zhvania–the Eurasian corridor project was also discussed–with the Georgian leader saying that isolation of any country from this process would lead to destabilization.
The Georgian-Armenian interparliamentary commission concluded eight agreemen’s Sunday in Tbilisi. The signing ceremony was followed by a news conference Georgian and Armenian parliamentary leaders.
Head of the Georgian delegation Vakhtang Kolbaya noted that for the first time the meeting was attended by representatives of the executive branches of both countries.
The commission considered issues of integration of tax and customs legislation. "We listened to reports of ministers of energy and transport of Georgia and Armenia and adopted a number of recommendations for these sectors," he said.
Bakhshian said that the main outcome of the commission’s activities was that representatives of the legislatures of the two countries would be able to discuss any issue–"even the most delicate ones–and promote their resolution."
The discussions led to the establishment of a joint Georgian-Armenian interparliamentary consulting group which will address economic issues–including the provisions for integrating customs and tax legislation–and issues related to the Eurasian transport corridor.
During the commission meeting–both sides stressed the importance of working out a bilateral program of national security and cooperation with international organizations.