Caucasus Press Review (November 10-16)

Bilateral Russian-Abkhaz trade has reached about $300 million and there are objective conditions for further expansion of trade and economic cooperation. This was stated in an interview to 'The Republic of Abkhazia' newspaper by the head of the Trade Mission of Russia in Abkhazia, Yuri Aikin. He informed the press about measures implemented by his organization on the territory of Abkhazia in order to facilitate bilateral trade. In the spring of this year the Trade Mission organized a working visit to Abkhazia by representatives of the 'BARS Group' company from Tatarstan. The company specializes in development of information products for the economy and the social sphere. After the company's products were demonstrated to the Cabinet of Ministers, a decision was taken to cooperate in the informatization of the healthcare system in Abkhazia between 2014 to 2017. It is planned to expand cooperation with 'Bars Group' to the 'highly sensitive' (in terms of corruption) spheres of finance, budget and construction.

 

Another project of interest to Sukhumi is the one related to the 'Trolza-market' (Russian producer of trolleybuses) company, trolleybuses of which operate in the city. The company has started commercial production of trolleybuses with autonomous motion reserve up to 25 km, which is important for the Abkhaz capital because of the frequent problems in the contact network. Trolleybuses of this type are also equipped with special ramps for boarding and dropin off passengers with disabilities, wheelchair users, people with children. The commercial offer has been transferred by the Trade Mission to the city administration.

 

The interviewee also spoke about 'the agricultural portfolio' of projects which the Trade Mission supervises. Currently it supports a Russian investor in its project to create a fruit and vegetable processing factory, that will be using modern technologies, in the village of Marhyaule. The factory is expected to be launched in 3 to 4 months. Promotion of the production by the Russian company "SibAgroPribor" (from the Novosibirsk region) to the Abkhazian market is being made with the help of a flexible pricing policy. The company produces a wide range of high-precision agricultural raw materials and by-products quality analyzers. Market promotion of production by the Moscow-based 'SelHozLider' company is also being made with the help of the Trade Mission. The company produces a number of mini-factories: bakeries, dairies, slaughterhouses, milk processing factories, etc. A number of potential investors are already working on this issue. The Trade Mission consults foreign trade partners on the current legal framework, special work is being done to meet their needs while implementing commercial projects.

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Traian Christea, the head of the EU delegation in Armenia, said that the European Union was not planning to sign a new agreement with Armenia, considering membership of the republic in the Eurasian Economic Union, the Delovoy Express daily paper reports. The EU official added that the sides neede to understand the sectors of bilateral cooperation and include them in the next agreement.

European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn noted that the sides had negotiated for the first time and discussed cooperation prospects. The EU announced a grant worth 140-170 million euros for reforming of the justice system, the private sector and public governance.

Concerning opportunities to sign the political part of the EU Association Agreement, excluding the free trade zone provisions, Traian Christea said that a new stage of cooperation was beginning. It was based on previous negotiations. According to the agreement reached between Armenia and the EU at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius a year ago, the EU had not ended its assistance in building democracy and fighting corruption, clarified Christea. In his words, the EU used the negotiating process and formed a program for further cooperation.

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Azerbaijan is preparing to modernize its chemical industry. It has initiated updating and technological reconstruction. Old industries will close and new ones will open, said Mukhtar Babayev, the head of SOCAR’s Azerikimya industrial group, in an interview with Azerbaijanskiye Izvestia. In his words, modernization plans will need at least four years. They were coordinated with the process of forming a new complex for oil and gas processing and petrochemistry. The exact parameters of expenditures have not been set yet.

New low-pressure polypropylene and polyethylene machines will have been launched at the Sumgayit Chemical Park by 2018. The construction site is being prepared and equipment being purchased for the facilities. Part of the equipment has already arrived. The enterprises will be launched in 2016-2017. Speaking of distribution, Babayev noted that most products will be for domestic consumers, the new petrochemical complex will export its products.

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Astemir Karmov, a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, has developed a unique website for the blind. It is available on аоао.рф. The letters “a” and “o” were picked for the protuberance on their keyboard keys, Kabardino-Balkarskaya Pravda reports. The designer of the website took comments of the Kabardino-Balkarian Regional Office of the All-Russian Society of the Blind into account. It has two versions: for people with poor eyesight and for the blind. The website offers news about Kabardino-Balkaria, radio stations, audio books, online television, information about events in the republic and laws and communication with other users. Pressing key “9” will automatically open a window to send a voice message to the developer of the site. The developer is ready to hear any ideas that could make the website more comfortable.

Bilateral Russian-Abkhaz trade has reached about $300 million and there are objective conditions for further expansion of trade and economic cooperation. This was stated in an interview to 'The Republic of Abkhazia' newspaper by the head of the Trade Mission of Russia in Abkhazia, Yuri Aikin. He informed the press about measures implemented by his organization on the territory of Abkhazia in order to facilitate bilateral trade. In the spring of this year the Trade Mission organized a working visit to Abkhazia by representatives of the 'BARS Group' company from Tatarstan. The company specializes in development of information products for the economy and the social sphere. After the company's products were demonstrated to the Cabinet of Ministers, a decision was taken to cooperate in the informatization of the healthcare system in Abkhazia between 2014 to 2017. It is planned to expand cooperation with 'Bars Group' to the 'highly sensitive' (in terms of corruption) spheres of finance, budget and construction.Another project of interest to Sukhumi is the one related to the 'Trolza-market' (Russian producer of trolleybuses) company, trolleybuses of which operate in the city. The company has started commercial production of trolleybuses with autonomous motion reserve up to 25 km, which is important for the Abkhaz capital because of the frequent problems in the contact network. Trolleybuses of this type are also equipped with special ramps for boarding and dropin off passengers with disabilities, wheelchair users, people with children. The commercial offer has been transferred by the Trade Mission to the city administration.The interviewee also spoke about 'the agricultural portfolio' of projects which the Trade Mission supervises. Currently it supports a Russian investor in its project to create a fruit and vegetable processing factory, that will be using modern technologies, in the village of Marhyaule. The factory is expected to be launched in 3 to 4 months. Promotion of the production by the Russian company "SibAgroPribor" (from the Novosibirsk region) to the Abkhazian market is being made with the help of a flexible pricing policy. The company produces a wide range of high-precision agricultural raw materials and by-products quality analyzers. Market promotion of production by the Moscow-based 'SelHozLider' company is also being made with the help of the Trade Mission. The company produces a number of mini-factories: bakeries, dairies, slaughterhouses, milk processing factories, etc. A number of potential investors are already working on this issue. The Trade Mission consults foreign trade partners on the current legal framework, special work is being done to meet their needs while implementing commercial proj