BRIDGE-2010 – ARMENIAN DAVOS – ILL-ORGANIZED AND NEGLECTED EVENT
ARKA
Feb 23, 2010
YEREVAN, February 23. /ARKA/. Bridge-2010, seventh international
economic forum, was held this weekend in Tsakhkadzor, Armenia.
Organizers call this traditional remarkable event Armenian Davos.
The forum gathers entrepreneurs, economists, statesmen and economic
journalists.
Tsakhkadzor was expected to become the economic capital of the region
for these three days, but something was wrong from the very beginning.
Everything began yet long before the forum, when journalists tried
to get the note traditionally sent a month before the event.
This time, journalists received the note just a few days before the
forum, but the note was incomplete.
There was no information about participants and schedule.
It became known later that the number of media reporters enjoying
access to the forum is limited, and photo correspondents had no access
at all.
But the worst was still to come. Journalists, who came to Tsakhkadzor
in two buses, were denied entry into the hall.
They were left with no option but to "observe" the event staying at
the hotel bar before a monitor put here for this very purpose.
Remarkable is that this circumstance did not confuse the bar
personnel. They were laying the tables here for a coffee break.
It was vain to find anybody of organizers. Reporters were looking for
them, but came back none the wiser, since all organizers retired to
the conference hall, and the guard barred reporters from entering it.
Journalists, who were initially embarrassed, still gathered themselves
up and embarked on their professional task.
They were waiting for speeches of prominent figures. But a new
circumstance emerged then. It became known that neither Armenian
Central Bank Chairman Arthur Javadyan nor WB Regional Director on South
Caucasus Asad Alam would attend the forum, though their participation
was announced beforehand. The latter’s visit to Armenia was over by
that moment.
Journalists knew that Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan would
speak at the forum.
But to their great disappointment, the premier was absent from the
forum because of health problems.
Finance Minister Tigran Davtyan and Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsyan,
supported by Arsen Ghazaryan, chairman of the Union of Armenian
Manufacturers and Businessmen, did their best to save this crippling
forum.
But another, maybe worst trial was waiting for this disappointed
journalism fraternity.
In addition to other troubles, technical problems emerged here –
voice amplifiers were out of order.
Therefore some of journalists left the forum after the plenary session
and returned to Yerevan.
Organizational committee’s faults were noticed by the forum
participants.
For example, Ara Petrosyan, deputy economy minister, pointed out
organizational faults.
He said representatives of travel companies were missing in the list
of participants, though they were always attending this forum.
That is why there was nobody but Ara Petrosyan, deputy economy
minister, Mekhak Apresyan, chief of the economy ministry’s tourism
unit, and some representatives of South Caucasus Railways at the
discussion over state-private partnership.
Representatives of some companies voiced their displeasure over such
an absurd situation. They were unhappy not only about denial of entry
for reporters, but also about the lack of normal conditions for the
press’ work.
In their conversation with ARKA News Agency correspondent,
entrepreneurs said they found it inadmissible to bar journalists
from fulfilling their professional duty, especially that the forum
is not only an assembly of elite businessmen, but also comprehensive
coverage of the event in the press.
Otherwise, the Tsakhkadzor’s event may transform into a mere friendly
chat.
However, finance and economy ministers, Davtyan and Yeritsyan, not
only thanked organizers of the forum, but also said that the event
showed economic development in the country. They said the next forum
would place on record higher achievements.
We hope that those in charge of organization of the forum will draw
a lesson from it and the next forum will be prepared properly.
Otherwise, shoddily organized event will tarnish their reputation
and image of the forum informally called Armenian Davos.
Inna Verlinskaya, ARKA News Agency correspondent
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
