ARMENIA NEEDS SECOND-GENERATION REFORMS FOR PROGRESS
arminfo
2007-07-10 14:33:00
Armenia needs second-generation reforms for progress, Vardan Oskanyan
said at the first Armenian Technology Congress ArmTech 2007 in
San Francisco on July 5-7. As RA FM’s press-service told ArmInfo,
V. Oskanyan noted in his speech that this conference may be called
a meeting of those who respect the future and have a perspective
approach. "Despite the most dire, most restrictive, most acute
social and economic conditions, to everyone’s great astonishment,
not only did we survive, but we competed with our neighbors, and,
in many areas, we came out ahead of them.
Armenian statehood is consolidated. We are on the path of democracy. We
do have an economy that is consistently rated open and liberal. Each
of these triumphs is a source of pride", RA FM said.
"First, we must invest thought and money in education. To talk about
education today means talking about IT and the internet, about bringing
those resources to every school child – in AND out of Armenia",
B. Oskanyan said. He added that in Armenia, within the framework of
the Rural Development Program which we announced at the last Armenia
Diaspora Conference, we want to enable comprehensive development in
our vulnerable border villages. The borders of our country, today,
are dependent on villagers who don’t have water or gas, electricity
or fertilizer. They also have never seen a cursor and can’t speak
English. We have a lot of work to do. Information technologies must
play a significant role in our program to bring sustainable rural
development to Armenia. For that, we need you. Don’t build school
buildings or construct water pipes. There are already generous donors
who will do that. You help to devise a program that will provide each
of the 10th graders in our villagers with computer skills.
I conclusion, V. Oskanyan said that Turkey and Azerbaijan do not want
to acknowledge either the past, or the present. As a result, they
are not interested in discussing a common future. The mental state
of war persists in Azerbaijan. "In Armenia and Karabakh, I am proud
to say that OUR outlook is towards the future, towards an eventual
peace, towards progress, stability and prosperity", RA FM said. To
note, ArmTech 2007 is dedicated to the prospects of development of
information technologies in Armenia, its problems and investment
opportunities. The congress included 400 participants. A number of
Armenian and Californian companies, state organizations have become
the event organizers. USAID also contributed to conducting of this
event. The next ArmTech Congress is scheduled in 2009.