PRESS RELEASE
March 30, 2007
American University of Armenia
40 Marshal Baghramian
Yerevan 0019, Armenia
Telephone: (37410) 512-522
Fax: (37410) 512-523
United Nations Development Programme
Armenia Country Office
14 Petros Adamian Str., Yerevan 0010, Armenia
Telephone: (37410) 56 60 73, 54 34 26
Fax: (374 10) 54 38 11, [email protected]
Contact: Diana Manukyan
E-mail: [email protected]
Conference on Rural Development in Armenia
Yerevan — More than 150 people participated in a conference on March 30,
2007, focused on rural development in Armenia. The conference was jointly
convened by the United Nations Development Programme Armenia Country Office
and the American University of Armenia Turpanjian Rural Development Program.
The conference discussed rural development with an emphasis on approaches
that work and problems that must be overcome in order to establish
successful projects and programs.
The conference opened with four keynote speakers: Ms. Consuelo Vidal,
Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in
Armenia, Dr. Haroutune Armenian, President of the American University of
Armenia, Mr. Vartan Oskanian, RA Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Hrach
Tspnetsyan, Head of the Agriculture and Village Social Development
Department of the RA Ministry of Agriculture.
Eleven organizations presented papers on rural development, including the
World Bank, USDA Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development, Armenian
Social Investment Fund, Jinishian Memorial Foundation, Small and Medium
Entrepreneurship Development National Center of Armenia, Aregak microfinance
organization, Oxfam Great Britain, Armenian Caritas, Children of Armenia
Fund, Shen NGO, and Youth and Community Action Program of the U.S. Academy
for Educational Development.
More than 60 Armenian organizations and international agencies directly
engaged in rural development projects in Armenia participated in the
conference sessions and discussions along with representatives of the
Republic of Armenia Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Territorial
Administration, and Education and Science.
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Armenia Fund (AUAF) in Armenia. The American University of Armenia (AUA) is
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instruction leading to the Master’s degree in eight graduate programs. For
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UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change in 166
countries
and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help
people build a better life. UNDP Country Office in Armenia was established
in 1993. UNDP’s Mandate is poverty reduction and its priorities are
expressed through the Millennium Development Goals approved by the World
leaders in 2000. As in other countries, UNDP in Armenia supports the
government to accomplish the millennial development agenda.