ARMENIAN AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZE RECEPTION IN HONOR OF RA PRIME MINISTER IN LOS ANGELES

Noyan Tapan
Oct 22, 2007

WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Serge Sargsian, the Prime Minister
of the Republic of Armenia, who is in the United States of America on
a visit, had a meeting with the members of the editorial staff of the
Daily "Los Angeles Times" on October 19 morning. During the meeting,
which lasted more than an hour, he gave a comprehensive interview
to that authoritative newpaper answering the numerous and various
questions received from readers.

The statements of questions addressed to the Prime Minister covered
various spheres, beginning from the goal of the visit of the Head of
the RA government to the United States of America up to the subjects
concerning the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. Serge Sargsian also
spoke about the activities of the RA government, forthcoming plans,
as well as about the existing challenges in details. The forthcoming
presidential elections, as well as the parliamentary ones, which
received a high mark by different observatory organizations, were
also touched upon. Serge Sargsian stressed that everything should
be done so as any further election, based on the experience of the
parliamentary elections held in May and as a result of the correction
of certain recorded flaws, receives only a positive mark.

The RA Prime Minister also met with the leadership of the Linsy
Foundation in Los Angeles on October 19. Kirk Kerkorian informed the RA
Prime Minister about his intention to visit Armenia in the near future.

In the evening of the same day Serge Sargsian took part in the
reception organized in his honor the by American-Armenian organizations
operating in Los Angeles, as well as by active community figures. More
than 200 people were present at the above-mentioned reception. During
the reception the RA Prime Minister made a speech in front of the
representatives of the Armenian community, touching upon the steps
being taken in the direction of building a powerful and prosperous
state, existing difficulties, ways for overcoming those difficulties,
increase in the productivity of the Armenia-Diaspora cooperation,
the process of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide,
as well as a number of other subjects.

Serge Sargsian arrived in Washington from Los Angeles on October 20
evening, where the Washington meetings continued on the following day.

On October 21 the working day of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the
newly-appointed managing director of the International Monetary
Fund, started with the meeting with Serge Sargsian, the RA Prime
Minister. The Head of the Armenian government introduced the up-to-date
development tendencies of the RA economy, as well as the cooperation
prospects of Armenia with the International Monetary Fund. Serge
Sargsian mentioned, in particular, that since 1992 Armenia managed
to achieve macro-economic stability, to restore the economy damaged
as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union by providing indices
of high economic growth due to the programs being implemented jointly
with the International Monetary Fund.

In connection with the further cooperation between Armenia and the
International Monetary Fund, Serge Sargsian expressed an opinion,
according to which the RA-IMF program, which finishes in May 2008,
should have a continuation. He mentioned that the Armenian government
will bring forward pretentious programs with regard to further reforms
and that it expects an adequate technical assistance and consultation
on politics. That framework of reforms will include the modernization
of tax and customs administrations, as well as the problems concerning
the increase in the competitiveness of economy and financial sector.

According to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the Information
and Public Relations Department of the RA Government, Serge Sargsian
received Matthew Bryza, the co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group,
in the RA Embassy in the second half of the day. Issues of mutual
interest were discussed during the private conversation.

On October 21 the RA Prime Minister also had meetings with the Heads
of the World Bank. The first meeting was with Shigeo Katsu, the Deputy
Chairman of the World Bank. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction
with the current level of the cooperation with the bank and introduced
those supremacies adopted by the RA government, which may become the
most important directions of the further cooperation with the World
Bank. The Deputy Chairman of the World Bank mentioned that Armenia was
recognized a country, which has achieved higher results by its economic
indices and the tempos of reforms by the International Development
Association and that it is very often introduced in different countries
as "a successful example" of a productive implementation of reforms
by the World Bank. The two parties agreed that passing from the status
of a poor country to that of a country of average incomes, Armenia, in
reality, should continue its adopted policy in a much more active way.

The development prospects of the RA economy were the main subject
of the meeting of Serge Sargsian with Grim Willer, the managing
director of the World Bank. Serge Sargsian mentioned, in particular,
that the primary issue of the Armenian government will still be
the provision of a high economic growth, however, according to him,
it is too important that this growth is visible and essential for
each inhabitant of Armenia. The parties mentioned the problems of
the development of the private sector, economic competitiveness,
increase in the competitiveness of economy, as well as the necessity
to implement further conversions in the spheres of education and health
as the main directions for the further cooperation with the World Bank.