400 FOREIGN AND AT LEAST 50 ARMENIAN COMPANIES EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN ARMTECH 2007

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Feb 14 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Ensuring further progress in
the Armenian high-tech sector will be the main subject of the first
Armtech 2007 congress (conference and exhibition) to be held at the
Fairmont Hotel (San Francisco) on July 4-7. Toni Moroyan, Chairman of
the Armtech 2007 organizing committee, Chairman of Viasphere Technopark
(Armenia), co-founder of several private techoparks and venture funds
abroad, stated this at the February 14 press conference at the Armenian
Development Agency.

At least 50 Armenian companies are expected to participate in the
event.

According to T. Moroyan, one of the purposes of holding the Armtech
2007 congress () will be the creation and
cooperation of an all-Armenian network of experts engaged in the
high-tech sector. It was noted that representatives of Armenia’s
governmental, business and academic circles will participate in the
congress. T. Moroyan said that an all-Armenian high-tech congress will
be held every second year. He attached importance to participation
of Armenian universities in this event, noting that representatives
of California’s senate will also take part in Armtech 2007.

The Armenian co-organizers of the congress is the Armenian Development
Agency (ADA) and Viasphere Techopark. According to Aram Vardanian,
Co-founder and Director General of Viasphere Technopark, a meeting
on Armtech 2007 preparatory work was held at ADA on February 13 with
the participation of representatives of various Armenian companies,
as well as scientists and architects.

ADA’s Director General Vahagn Movsisian said that Armenian sectors
having a competitive adavantage such as IT, biotechnologies,
pharmaceutical industry, fine organic chemistry, alternative energy
will be presented at Armtech 2007. A working group was created to
examine investment programs to be presented at Armtech 2007 and assist
with bringing them into line with international standards.

"About 200 US companies have already agreed to participate in Armtech
2007," V. Movsisian said. It is expected that representatives of 400
foreign companies will participate in Armtech 2007.

Responding to NT correspondent’s question, T. Moroyan said that
conferences held in Silicon Valley have been especially useful for
India and Ireland.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress