Minister of Diaspora urges Syrian Armenian businessmen to step up
their activities in Armenia

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Minister of
Diaspora Ms. Hranush Hakobian received a delegation of the
Armenian-Syrian Business Council on September 9. The delegation
composed of the Council’s representatives Shahe Yaghubian and Suren
Vardanian was headed by Co-Chairman of the Council’s Syrian side,
member of Aleppo Chamber of Commerce Levon Zaki Yetalian, Press and PR
Department of the Ministry of Diaspora reported.

The minister said that the Syrian-Armenian community is one of the most
well-organized ones. In her opinion, the visit of Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad to Armenia in June 2009 marked a new path in the
development of relations between Armenia and syria. She reminded that
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had stated during the indicated visit
that the bilateral relations have great opportunities for further
development, especially in the field of business and he had highlited
the importance of ensuring the continuity of the program on exhibitions
of Armenian and Syrian goods.

Ms. Hakobian urged the Armenian-Syrian busnessmen to step up their
activities in Armenia, to which work to be done in Diaspora communities
under the memorandum signed between the Ministry and the RA Chamber of
Commerce and Industry will contribute. A meeting of Diaspora Armenian
businessmen making investments in Armenia is scheduled to take place in
Yerevan in late November 2009.

The minister spoke about the field of partners of the Ministry of
Diaspora and the problems of specifying the needs of the communities,
whose solution will enable to increase the efficiency of the Ministry’s
assistance to the communities.

L. Z. Yetalian presented the Armenian-Syrian Business Council’s goals
such as the development of business links between the two countries,
the promotion of exports and imports. He expressed satisfaction with
the fact that the interest in business potential of the Diaspora is
growing in Armenia.

During the meeting Minister Hakobian and the Armenian-Syrian
businessmen also addressed problems of the business climate’s
improvement in Armenia. Ms. Hakobian presented the draft guide on the
legislative problems related to the stay and business activity of
Diaspora Armenians in Armenia.