TIGRAN SARGSYAN: ARMENIAN BUSINESSMEN TRY TO USE NEW OPPORTUNITIES BEING CREATED IN JEWELRY SECTOR

Noyan Tapan

M arch 17, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. In the opinion of Armenian Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan, under conditions of the global crisis,
serious difficulties have arisen in Armenia’s mining industry, and
quite the opposite, new opportunities are forming in the jewelry
sector, with Armenian businessmen trying to use them. The prime
minister told that to reporters during the March 17 visit to the
Masis gold processing plant.

In his words, the Masis gold processing plant is a successful
enterprise with modern equipment in line with international
standards. The prime minister underlined the importance of operation
of such enterprises using domestic raw materials, noting that it is
no accident that agreements have already been signed with Yerevan
jewelry plant for the purchase of all finished products of Masis plant.

During the visit the prime minister familiarized himself with the
production capacities, development prospects and working conditions
at this plant which had been launched by Assat company recently. The
Director General of Assat LLC Aram Osikian informed the prime
minister that their company was founded in 1999 and is currently
engaged in exploring several raw material fields and calculation of
their reserves, as well as construction of ore mills on their basis
with the use of copper, gold and other metals. Masis gold processing
plant is one of such projects: it has already been tested and has
good opportunities of development. The plant now has 20 employees and
plans to create 15-20 jobs within two months with the minimum salary
of 150 thousand drams.