OSKANYAN SAYS ARMENIA IS REGIONAL LEADER
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)

uly_12_2007/eco_1398_4.htm
Thursday, July 12, 2007, #131 (1398)

"Despite difficult socioeconomic conditions, Armenia not only survived
but has competed against and even triumphed over its neighbors," stated
Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanyan at ArmTech 2007, a
congress and exhibition of Armenian technologies held in San Francisco.

According to the news agency Regnum, Oskanyan says now that Armenia
has chosen a democratic system, it must recognize two important
new realities.

"The first reality is internal to our country. Armenia’s successful
reforms were those which were more obvious and less controversial
from economic and political standpoints," stated the foreign minister.

"The second reality is more regional. Armenia now needs to implement
deeper reforms that are more difficult to put into place," Oskanyan
said. He added that when Armenia’s neighbors were busy seeking their
own priorities, Armenia was able to compete and pull ahead of nearby
countries.

Oskanyan concluded by saying that today’s playing field is drastically
different than it was 15 years ago.