KAREN VARDANYAN: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RESTRICTIONS DETAIN IT DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.03.2010 16:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Union of IT Enterprises (UITE) has prepared an
initiative on the amendments to RA law on control over the export of
goods and dual-purpose technologies.

As Karen Vardanyan, UITE executive director, said during IT leaders’
forum in Aghveran, the project should be approved by RA Ministry of
Economy and RA State Revenue Committee. "Main suggestions relate
to service costs for expert assessment of the product, as well as
determination of dual-purpose product lists," he told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.

In addition to internal obstacles, IT development in Armenia is
detained by some international restrictions. Thus, according to EU
government’s decree, Armenia is included in the list of "unreliable"
countries; EU states are forbidden to export analytical equipment or
its components to countries listed, Karen Vardanyan said.

Azerbaijan, China, Congo, Sudan, Somali, North Korea and other
countries are also included in the list.

"I consider it unacceptable, as Armenia is an EU partner within the
framework of European Neighborhood policy. USA does not envisage such
prohibitions for Armenia. And if we seek to develop technologically,
we should be able to import updated equipment," he added.