“Economic development may take place in Armenia if the government and business community establish real partnership” - PM Attends “My Step for Tavush” Investment Forum

09.09.2018

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in a business forum, referred to as “My Step for Tavush” in Idjevan.
Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Pashinyan stated in part: “As a matter of fact, this is the first regional conference, conventionally called a business or investment forum. The goal is to invite business people from Armenia and abroad, who are natives of this region, to hold an investment-related discussion so that we could change the economic situation in Armenia region by region.”
The Prime Minister advised that such conferences should be organized in all regions of Armenia with the key objective of popularizing the formula: “Economic development may take place in Armenia if the government and business community establish real partnership. What we need to do in the government is to create opportunities, equal opportunities, justice, provide competitive conditions and legality, because the old approach and perception that the government should build factories and jobs is not that effective in the modern world. On the contrary, we think that the government should turn to those who are professional in terms of generating jobs and establishing new businesses, who know how to do it: not only open, but also keep, develop and to expand jobs.”
According to the Prime Minister, the main purpose of such conferences is to launch such partnerships and state once again that in the new Armenia deep respect should go to those who are creating a product.
“Producers should be among the highest esteemed people since they are generating wealth for the country; they are creating jobs, paying taxes, and enabling the development of our country to grow in all areas of security, defense, education, science,” Nikol Pashinyan underscored.
The Head of Government noted that all the problems existing in the country have to do with State revenues, and the growth of State revenues greatly depends on the activity of the business class insofar as added value is created in the country. While organizing this forum, the government sought to encourage all talented business people so that those outside the country might think of coming to Armenia, and those who have already started a business could work more confidently, have long-term and larger prospects is support of the Republic of Armenia, the people of Armenia, the Armenian Army and the Armenian State, in general.
The Prime Minister touched upon the results of his visit to the Russian Federation yesterday, noting that he was aware that a significant part of those present had arrived from the Russian Federation.
“I had very important and very productive talks with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. As a result of this visit and negotiations, we can state that the Armenian-Russian relations have risen to a new - I would say - an unprecedented level, there is an atmosphere of mutual trust between me and the President of the Russian Federation. Accordingly, we can state that there is an atmosphere of mutual trust between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation that will provide better conditions for our economic ties to develop. It will become another incentive for our compatriots in the Russian Federation to continue operating not only in the Russian Federation, but also in the Republic of Armenia,” Nikol Pashinyan said.
The Prime Minister thanked the businessmen for their readiness to cooperate and stressed that “the people of Armenia, the Armenian government relies and counts on you. Of course, we are ready to do everything we can to make you succeed in Armenia: including those who are already engaged and those who are going to come to Armenia. We have two messages to the business class in Armenia: we say get richer and enrich the Republic of Armenia and the people of Armenia, that is, make yourself rich, if you are rich, become wealthier and enrich the Republic of Armenia and its people. We say get stronger and empower others, that is, strengthen economically, spiritually, in the sense of national self-consciousness, identity and empower our homeland, our people, our State.”
A number of businessmen came up with business proposals in different spheres such as strawberry production, intensive agriculture, construction materials, etc. An agreement has been reached that the programs would be finalized and submitted to relevant agencies.
The Prime Minister answered a number of questions which bore on the priorities of the government’s economic policy, the investment sector, the tax reform, insurance, etc. Touching upon the vision of Armenia’s economic development, Nikol Pashinyan emphasized: “A policy of poverty incentives has been pursued for years in Armenia. We believe that the time has come to switch over to job encouragement because work is the only way to deal with the existing problems. The government is introducing a policy of job incentives so that the working man, who creates a product, might be held in highest esteem in Armenia.”
Wrapping up the discussion, the Premier expressed satisfaction with the forum’s results, assessing it as quite effective and productive.
http://www.primeminister.am/en/press-release/item/2018/09/09/Nikol-Pashinyan-attended-forum/