China interested in Armenian satellite communication project

YEREVAN, July 13. / ARKA /. Armenian transport and communications minister Gagik Beglaryan met yesterday with the president and chief executive officer of Rasia FZE investment  company Joseph Borkowski and  representatives of a Chinese company Poly Group, headed by vice-president Dayem Ning, to discuss an Armenian government plan to launch a commercial satellite.

Borkowski was quoted as saying in a ministry press release that Poly Group, one of the largest state-owned Chinese companies is interested in co-financing the project. Beglaryan was said to have spoken about the current status of the project saying also that the government is seeking to attract foreign and private capital into the project.

"We have received a lot of consulting and management proposals. Today our major partner is Russia. We will present our proposals to you as well,’ the Armenian minister said.

Earlier the ministry of transport and communications said the government set up a company for that purpose, called Armcosmos. The total cost of the satellite project is estimated at around $250 million.

As part of the Geneva Plan of Action for development of information society Armenia is working to develop  a national infrastructure for international broadband network, including satellite and other systems to create better conditions for the provision of new information technology services. -0-