YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. 18th Armenia EXPO 2018 international universal trade-industrial expo-forum launched on September 7 at the Yerevan Expo center, reports Armenpress.

The event was attended by President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian.

Chairman of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia Arsen Ghazaryan welcomed the guests and informed that this year the Expo is attended by over 200 subjects.

He said representatives from 10 countries arrived in Armenia to participate in the Expo.

President Sarkissian, after touring the pavilions, told reporters that he was mainly interested in the pavilions of the participants who export their products.

“We saw companies which currently export their products to the Eurasian area. One of my questions concerns whether they are satisfied with the customs duties, whether there are problems or not. This is very important since our country should have this direction, become a modern country to be able to export its products across the world, and first of all, to neighbors and the Eurasian area”, the President said.

He also commented on the issue of export of agricultural goods by rural people.

“One of the main problems, of course, is to receive small loans also with little interest rates, the second one is to have an opportunity to export their goods as the farmers have no opportunity to export their goods to large market, therefore, this issue is very important. The third one: the elderly people were complaining that there is a problem of generation change, the youth doesn’t want to stay and live in the village. This is a major problem for us since in this case we have a great gap in the rural areas”, he said.

Armenia EXPO 2018 international universal trade-industrial expo-forum is attended by companies from Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Germany, Poland, Iran, Italy, US and India.

The Expo will remain open until September 9.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan