Russian, Armenian leaders to discuss joint projects.

YEREVAN, August 20 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and
his Armenian colleague Serzh Sargsyan will discuss on Friday an extended
lease on the Russian military base in Armenia, the construction of
additional reactors for a nuclear power plant and large projects in
bilateral business cooperation.
The Russian leader arrived on a state visit to Armenia on Thursday.
"Among the documents prepared for signing are the protocol extending
the operation of the agreement on the Russia military base in Armenia, and
the inter-governmental agreements on readmission and joint establishment
of trade missions," presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said.
Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan said the amendments on the
military base concern the prolongation of the agreement of 1995.
"Whereas earlier, the agreement of 1995 was effective for 25 years, it
will henceforth be effective for 49 years beginning from 1995, i.e. until
2044," he said.
The new treaty will spell out the provision that the Russian military
base, together with the Armenian armed forces, will ensure, along with
Russian interests, the republic's security.
"To attain these purpose, the Russian side will contribute to
providing Armenia with armaments and modern military equipment,"
Nalbandyan emphasized.
The objective of the Russian base is to ensure the strategic stability
on the border, defend the Russian and Armenian interests, including by
joint operational use of Russian and Armenian troops, in accordance with
provisions of the Collective Security Treaty Organization dated May 15,
1992.
The units of the Russian base are deployed in Gyumri and Yerevan. Its
personnel number some 3,500. It comprises three motorized infantry
regiments, an artillery regiment, and a tank battalion. According to
military sources, the base has 74 tanks, 17 infantry fighting vehicles, 18
armored personnel carriers, and 84 artillery systems. The air group
includes up to 30 MiG-29 aircraft, and S-300 and S-200 long-range air
defense systems.
The Russian and Armenian air defense units have been on joint combat
duty since 2001. They are an important element of the unified air defense
system of the Commonwealth of Independent States set up in 1995.
"In the course of the visit, the parties are expected to consider the
implementation of large Russian investment projects in Armenia and map out
prospects for future work," Prikhodko said adding that "nuclear power
generation is one of the most promising branches."
"An intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in building a next
generation reactor in Armenia is prepared for signing.
"Russian-Armenian relations lean on a solid economy foundation.
Leading Russian companies, such as Gazprom, Inter RAO UES, RZhD, Bank VTB,
Russian Aluminum, VimpelCom, and AFK Sistema successfully operate in
Armenia. The aggregate Russian investments in the Armenian economy have
totaled 2.4 billion dollars since 1991, and account for almost 60 percent
of all foreign investments in the country.
"Russia mostly invested in Armenia's energy, banking,
telecommunications, mining and construction sectors.
"In discussing the international agenda, the parties will pay
attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement," Prikhodko said
The issue of interaction in integration associations, in the first
place the Collective Security Treaty Organization, is to be considered as
well.
The Kremlin said a state visit is the highest form of international
contacts in the diplomatic protocol. As a rule, the head of a foreign
state is welcomed with a visit of this rank only once during his entire
term in office. There have been no state visits in the history of
Russian-Armenian relations before.
Medvedev's visit to Armenia continues the development of the regular
and active Russian-Armenian top-level political dialogue. On August 29,
1997, during the first official visit of the Armenian president to Russia,
the parties signed a treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual
assistance.
During the official visit of the Armenian president to Russia in
September 2000, the two states signed a declaration of allied cooperation
oriented to the 21st century.
In 2010, Medvedev and Sargsyan met in various formats, including in
Moscow in January and April within the framework of the Armenian leader's
working visits to the Russian capital.


.Fire-fighting cost Russia 12 billion roubles - minister.

MOSCOW, August 20 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Emergency Situations Minister
Sergei Shoigu said fire-fighting cost the country 12 billion roubles,
according to modest estimates.
"The expenditure to extinguish fires, along with the funds to build
new housing for fire victims, with additional attraction of resources
would approximate 12 billion roubles," Shoigu told reporters.
-0-myz


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