ARMENIA JOINS ENTERPRISE EUROPE NETWORK

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 20, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Henceforth small and medium
entrepreneurs of Armenia will have the opportunity to establish
contacts and find partners in the European market – thanks to Armenia’s
joining the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). The official ceremony
of Armenia’s joining EEN took place at the office of the European
Commission Delegation in Armenia on June 20.

The RA minister of economy Nerses Yeritsian said that links with the
developed European market and professional advice of European experts
will open development opportunities not only for small and medium
entrepreneurs, but also for big ones. Businessmen from Yerevan and
marzes may use services of the network, which is of special importance
to those who have just started their business.

In the words of the head of the European Commission Delegation in
Armenia Raul de Luzenberger, Armenia’s joining the EEN is yet another
important step taken within the framework of the European Neighborhood
Policy and it will make the European market more accessible to
Armenian businessmen.

The director of the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development
National Center Armenia (SME DNC) Iskhan Karapetian said the network
will assist enterprises with business cooperation, market research
and finding potential partners, negotiating and signing agreements
on cooperation, as well as with evaluation of their capacities and
preparedness to operate in international market. According to him,
14 working groups in various sectors of economy have already been
created. It was announced that 5 proposals to make use of the network’s
services have been received, another 25 proposals are being developed.

The Enterprise Europe Network currently operates in 27 EU member
states, countries-candidates for EU membership – Turkey and Macedonia,
countries of the European economic zone Norway and Iceland, while
Israel and Switzerland joined the network in 2008.