MORE THAN 500 BUSINESSMEN EXPECTED TO PARTICUIPATE IN 2nd ECONOMIC FORUM ARMENIA-DIASPORA

Noyan Tapan
Jun 1 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 1, NOYAN TAPAN. More than 500 businessmen will
participate in the 2nd economic forum Armenia-Diaspora in Yerevan on
September 20, 2006.

Within the framework of the forum, a large exhibition Pan-Armenian
EXPO 2006 “Armenia’s Economy During 15 Years of Independence” will
be held on September 22. RA Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic
Development Tigran Davtian stated this at a press conference on June
1. According to him, the plenary sittings of the economic forum
will be held in the Sport and Culture Center after K. Demirchian. It
is envisaged to have sittings on information and high technologies,
industry, small and medium business and tourism. 50-60 businessmen are
expected to take part in the sitting on issues of information and high
technologies. T. Davtian said that in order to ensure the participation
of the maximum possible Diasporan Armenian and foreign businessmen
in the forum, an open letter-invitation of the RA Minister of Trade
and Economic Development will be disseminated in Geneva, Brussels
and Moscow through commercial representatives of Armenia. The open
letter-invitation is placed on the website ,
through which the registration of the event participants and collection
of participation payments will be done. It was announced that in case
of submitting a bid until September 1, the participation payment will
make a sum in drams equivalent to 50 euros (in 2003, the payment for
participation in the 1st economic forum Armenia-Diaspora made 100
euros). Starting September 1, the payment will make 100 euros. The
speaker noted that in 2001-2005, the Diaporan Armenian businessmen
carried out more active invetsment activities in Armenia than
previously, which was due to holding a investment forum on Armenia
in New York in 2001 and Armenia-Diaspora forums in Yerevan in 2002.

According to expert opinions presented by T. Davtian, in 1998-2004,
55-65% of foreign investors operating in Armenia had links with the
Diaspora, and their investments in the indicated period made up 55-65%
of the total amount of investments. He reminded that in 1991-2005,
private foreign investments of 2 bln USD were made in Armenia, 1 bln
USD of which – in 2001-2005, while in 2005 alone, investments amounted
to 0.5 bln USD.