Yerevan discussing investments in Mars plant with Moscow, as well as other enterprises given over to Russia

YEREVAN. April 10 (Interfax) - Armenia is discussing with Russia the possibility of returning the five large enterprises transferred by Yerevan to Moscow in 2002 in exchange for repaying the state debt to full-fledged operation, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

"We are discussing with our Russian colleagues not that we want to take these enterprises back, but that investments be made so that the huge potential of these enterprises is used to the fullest," Pashinyan said in parliament on Wednesday.

For example, he discussed the issue of operations at the Mars enterprise with the Russian Prime Minister, Pashinyan said

"Only a tiny part of the potential of the Mars plant is being used. These capacities should work for the benefit of economic development," Pashinyan said.

In lieu of paying a debt of about $100 million owed to Russia in 2002, Armenia transferred Mars CJSC (which produces complex electronic products and various non-standard equipment), the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant, the Materials Science Research Institute, the Mathematical Machines Research Institute and the Automated Control Systems Research Institute over to Russian ownership.