MORE THAN 500 BUSINESSMEN EXPECTED TO PARTICUIPATE IN 2nd ECONOMIC
FORUM ARMENIA-DIASPORA
YEREVAN, JUNE 1, NOYAN TAPAN. More than 500 businessmen will
participate in the 2nd economic forum Armenia-Diaspora in Yerevan on
September 20, 2006. Within the framework of the forum, a large
exhibition Pan-Armenian EXPO 2006 “Armenia’s Economy During 15 Years
of Independence” will be held on September 22. RA Deputy Minister of
Trade and Economic Development Tigran Davtian stated this at a press
conference on June 1. According to him, the plenary sittings of the
economic forum will be held in the Sport and Culture Center after K.
Demirchian. It is envisaged to have sittings on information and high
technologies, industry, small and medium business and tourism. 50-60
businessmen are expected to take part in the sitting on issues of
information and high technologies. T. Davtian said that in order to
ensure the participation of the maximum possible Diasporan Armenian
and foreign businessmen in the forum, an open letter-invitation of the
RA Minister of Trade and Economic Development will be disseminated in
Geneva, Brussels and Moscow through commercial representatives of
Armenia. The open letter-invitation is placed on the website
, through which the registration of the event
participants and collection of participation payments will be done. It
was announced that in case of submitting a bid until September 1, the
participation payment will make a sum in drams equivalent to 50 euros
(in 2003, the payment for participation in the 1st economic forum
Armenia-Diaspora made 100 euros). Starting September 1, the payment
will make 100 euros. The speaker noted that in 2001-2005, the Diaporan
Armenian businessmen carried out more active invetsment activities in
Armenia than previously, which was due to holding a investment forum
on Armenia in New York in 2001 and Armenia-Diaspora forums in Yerevan
in 2002. According to expert opinions presented by T. Davtian, in
1998-2004, 55-65% of foreign investors operating in Armenia had links
with the Diaspora, and their investments in the indicated period made
up 55-65% of the total amount of investments. He reminded that in
1991-2005, private foreign investments of 2 bln USD were made in
Armenia, 1 bln USD of which – in 2001-2005, while in 2005 alone,
investments amounted to 0.5 bln USD.