ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 16 2007

ARMENIAN FOREIGN OFFICE READY HELP BUSINESSMEN

YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Foreign Office is ready to help
Armenian businessmen in resolving problems with getting entry visas,
Tigran Seyranyan, Head of the Consular Department, RA Foreign Office,
stated at a meeting with between members of the Union of
Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia (UMBA) and representatives
of foreign diplomatic missions to Armenia.
"The Foreign Office is ready to receive businessmen’s complaints and
resend them to the corresponding Embassies and Consular Services,"
Seyranyan said. He pointed out a number of reasons for the problems
with visas.
"The first reason is illegal migration, which acquired a large scale
especially in the 1990s," he said. Seyramyan pointed out that this
made a number of countries to take necessary preventive measures,
which improved the situation. However, some countries are still
facing this problem. "In particular, 300-400 Armenian citizens
applied for asylum in France every quarter," Seyranyan said.
According to him, the situation has improved in Germany, Switzerland
and Scandinavian countries. "For example, only one person has applied
for citizenship in Switzerland in 2007," he said.
According to Seyranyan, the question of issuing visas in a simplified
regime to businessmen and art workers was discussed at negotiations
with the European Union as part of the New Neighborhood policy. "The
Armenian sides put forward a proposal for the issue of long-term
visas to businessmen and representatives of some other groups that
are not prospective illegal migrants. However, Brussels did not
welcome the idea. In the document this issue was linked with further
readmission agreements," Seyranyan said. He added that many countries
practice this.
Seyranyan also said that the applicants sometimes have problems
because they fail to submit all the necessary documents and provide
inaccurate information.
In his turn, RA Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan expressed
hope that the meeting will contribute to the development of bilateral
relations. "We have positive trade and economic relations with the
countries whose representatives are present at the meeting, but we
should not be contented with the current level," Kirakosyan said. He
pointed out that the RA Foreign Office will assist in organizing
meetings like this.
Among UMBA members are the managers of about 500 Armenian companies,
which ensure about 75% of budget revenues in Armenia. UMBA Chairman
Arsen Ghazaryan said that UMBA sees a potential for expanding its
foreign economic relations with a number of countries, particularly
with Greece and Egypt. P.T. -0–