OSCE OFFICE SUPPORTS LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT CENTRE IN SYUNIK, ARMENIA

armradio.am
26.06.2009 14:52

A new office providing state support to small and medium
entrepreneurship opened today in the town of Kapan in Armenia’s Syunik
region, with the support of OSCE Programme Implementation Presence
in Syunik.

The Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, and
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan participated in a ceremony to
mark the opening of the Representative Office of the Small and Medium
Entrepreneurship Development National Centre of Armenia (SME DNC).

The new office will help local entrepreneurs’ access state support
programmes and tools offered by the Government of Armenia.

"One of the key objectives of the OSCE’s support to this office is
to contribute to sustainable development in this remote region," said
Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. "The
new office will make our efforts to support small- and medium-sized
entrepreneurs more effective, and help enhance local capacities to
respond to the sharply increased economic and social vulnerability
in the region due to recent mining sector stagnation."

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan added: "Support to small
and medium entrepreneurship is one of the key priorities of the
government’s economic policies. Enhancement of the state support
system for SMEs is crucial in supporting local economic development and
overcoming the effects of global economic crisis on the local level."

Ishkhan Karapetyan, Executive Director of SME DNC, said the office
would help implement technical and financial support programmes,
support start-up entrepreneurs and help implement projects proposed
by local companies.

Local entrepreneurs also attended the opening and held discussions
with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Economy and the Head of the
OSCE Office.