RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan is paying a working visit to the
USA to participate in the Arm Tech – 2009 Armenian high-tech industry
congress.

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Friday, 6 November 2009

On November 5, Tigran Sargsyan went to Stanford University, a leading
academic and educational center worldwide. The head of the Armenian
government called at the SLAC linear accelerator’s center, walked
round its labs and research units and met with the representatives of
the Union of Armenian Students of Stanford University.

Thursday students briefed the Prime Minister on their organization’s
objectives, tasks and current activities. During the meeting, the head
of the executive answered the students’ questions concerning Armenia’s
competitiveness, infrastructure development, as well as the estimated
economic impact of the re-opening of the Armenia-Turkey border.

Tigran Sargsyan highlighted Armenian students’ participation in
educational reform in Motherland and stressed the need for the
furtherance of Armenia-Diaspora linkages.

Then, the Prime Minister visited the headquarters of Sequoia Capitals
where he met with the leadership of the company.

Thereafter the head of government headed to the United States’ Venture
Partnership organization where he joined branch representatives to
discuss possibilities for developing venture capital in Armenia.

The businessmen in attendance said venture capital will be especially
successful in Armenia though it will call for specific efforts. An
arrangement was reached about the possibility of hosting training
courses for concerned officials from the Armenian Ministry of Economy.

Tigran Sargsyan also went to California’s Berkley University where he
met with Dean of the Informatics Chair Anna Lee Saxenyan and faculty
professors. Then, the head of government addressed the participants of
`Armenia’s Competitiveness Agenda’ forum. Tigran Sargsyan spoke about
today’s global developments and the application of the concept of the
Armenian World. `The Armenian World has comparative assets as
expressed by a global network of self-organization allowing it to play
an important role in those more diversified, multicultural and
multidisciplinary networks,’ the Prime Minister said and added: `Our
task is to remain open to new knowledge which is deemed to the key to
the mentioned systems so that we can promote Armenia’s emergence as a
post-industrial society.’

Tigran Sargsyan indicated that the launch of Luys Foundation was a way
to give effect to the concept of the Armenian World. The head of
government introduced the tasks and current activities of the National
Competitiveness Council.

Then the Prime Minister touched upon his government’s anti-crisis
efforts: `Our anti-crisis strategy has two key components. The first
one covers our short-term and medium-term programs aimed at countering
the downturn and boosting the economy through more targeted public
spending. The crisis exposed Armenia’s economic weaknesses which we
are addressing actively. But it also pointed to the possibility of
tackling our unused potential. Thus, investing in the future and
identifying new cooperation possibilities proved to be the second
component of our anti-crisis program.’

In conclusion of his daily program, the head of government returned to
San Jose where the Arm Tech – 2009 business forum is due to start on
November 6.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress