YEREVAN, July 18. /ARKA/. U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills told journalists on Wednesday that American business people still refrain from making new major investments in Armenia, but the government’s actions he is confident about the government’s actions give grounds for confidence in its commitment.
He said corruption and the lack of a level playing field for businesses have deterred entrepreneurs from investing money in Armenia.
In his words, Armenian government’s actions to tackle the issue of corruption and ensure a level playing field are very welcome in the United States, but it is still too early for new major investments to be announced.
”We are getting expressions of interest from the business community in the United States about the opportunities in Armenia,” the ambassador said. “But these potential investors are waiting to see whether now the government will follow up with some concrete actions. They also want to see whether the investigations, launched into credible allegations of corruption, are carried out in a fair manner, according to the rule of law.”
Richard Mills said that they want to see how the government is treating foreign and local firms. “They are also looking at the issues around Lydian to see how the government is handing those very sensitive and controversial issues and whether Lydian will be treated fairly as that process unfolds,” he said. -0—
18:57 18.07.2018