President Kocharyan’s press secretary Victor Soghomonyan confirmed the reports by the Russian media that an Armenian-Iranian-Russian project plans to build an oil refining factory in Meghri. The news became known from the Russian media because this idea had been discussed during the meeting of Robert Kocharyan and Vladimir Putin in Russia on January 24, the speaker explained. Victor Soghomonyan found it difficult to present any financial data on the project and stated that it is early to speak about the details yet. He added that the news on the costs of the project is exaggerated. Victor Soghomonyan found it difficult to answer whether a transit oil pipeline will pass via Armenia after the successful implementation of the project. He found it difficult to answer who initiated oil refining industry in Meghri. “I was not present when the proposal was offered.” In fact, those who were present when the proposal was offered did not tell the speaker, and since he knows nothing, he declines to answer. Armenia is constantly guilded by economic expediency and is therefore against “purely political projects, which may seem to be economic at first sight,” this is the stance of official Yerevan. According to official Yerevan, the Kars-Akhalkalaki railroad is such a project. Armenia makes efforts to prevent undesirable developments. Victor Soghomonyan stated that thanks to the Armenian diplomacy the United States refused to fund this project, “in any country’s foreign policies the levers are negotiations, and you cannot physically stop a country from implementing a project inside this country, which is not favorable for you. Mankind has not invented a tool to use to prevent a government from implementing a project or another in its country.” Victor Soghomonyan said it is possible to carry out a joint exploration of the uranium mines in Armenia but he found it difficult to answer how this uranium will be used. “One thing is clear that Armenia will not set up uranium enrichment.”
