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On December 9, at the initiative of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and by the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan and Friedrich Ebert Fund Armenia parliamentary hearings were held on the theme The Economic Component of the RA Foreign Policy.

The RA NA deputies, the representatives of the RA concerned state institutions, the diplomatic representations accredited in the RA and the international organizations, the NGOs, the political concerned organizations and scientific-expertise circles.

In his opening remarks the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan on behalf of the Committee thanked the participants for accepting the invitation and attending the hearings. Mr Zakaryan thanked the RA NA Speaker for supporting the organization of the hearings, the RA Prime Minister and the members of the government for the readiness, as well as underlined the role of the OSCE Office in Yerevan and Friedrich Ebert German Fund regional structure for the organization of the hearings and active participation. Mr Zakaryan has noted that still last year the activation of the economic relations agenda was especially highlighted in the foreign policy priorities by the President of the Republic.

The holding of the parliamentary hearings has a goal to bring together the approaches of the government, parliament, diplomatic missions, international organizations, banking system, private business sphere, the NGOs, as well as the leading experts of Armenia and abroad, as well as discuss the existing possibilities of the development of the economic factor in the foreign policy, its effective use and the solution of the current problems.

By Artak Zakaryan’s proposal the participants in one-minute silence honoured the memory of the innocent victims of all genocides occurred in the world, taking into consideration that December 9 had been defined day of all genocides of the world in the RA.

According to Mr Zakaryan, the rates of the development of the RA economy are conditioned by limited resources of Armenia and unfavourable geopolitical realities. Being a small economy, a landlocked country with limited energy resources and partially being also under the land blockade, the created unfavourable realities oblige us to be more active and alert to use at least the smallest possibilities for the development of the economy.

In his speech the RA Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan has noted that RA foreign policy has always been directed to the provision of the security of our country, the creation of favourable conditions for the economic development, the expansion and deepening of the involvement of the country in the international organizations and the formation of the reliable atmosphere of cooperation. According to the Prime Minister, the RA diplomatic corps should make great efforts for the expansion of the economic component in their everyday work, as it is the imperative of the development of the RA economy. From this point of view Karen Karapetyan emphasized the necessity of the implementation of the further purposeful and effective work by the diplomatic representations of Armenia.

The Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Argo Avakov has noted that the modern economic agenda of the OSCE proposes the governments of the participant states in the elaboration of the national strategies to cooperate in the following directions: effective state administration and fight against corruption, fight against money laundering and terrorism financing, etc. He has stated that the OSCE Secretariat has worked out a guideline on fight against corruption. The working migration is also one of the important directions for the structure. The OSCE Office in Yerevan implements different programmes, which are directed to the improvement of the economic growth conditions and making the field for the involvement of the investments more attractive. In 2017 the OSCE Office will begin to carry out programmes in order to improve the business atmosphere in the country and assist the involvement of the new investments.

The Director of Friedrich Ebert Fund South Caucasus Regional Office Julia Bläsius, highlighting the holding of the similar hearings, has noted that the open and transparent dialogue between the parliament and other concerned persons is of key, essential importance. According to the speaker, similar events make the policy of the parliament and the decision making more transparent. According to the Office Director, the choice of the theme shows how important is this sphere for the development of Armenia. The sustainable economic development, which is the basis of the social sustainable development, is one of the priorities of Friedrich Ebert Fund, as according to Mrs Bläsius, the democratic political development should be the permanent guide of the economic development. It has been noted that being an EEU member, Armenia has a great a opportunity to enter into 180mln-people market of the EEU.

The Deputy Minister of the RA Economic Development and Investments Hovhannes Azizyan delivered a speech on the theme The Role of the EEU in Terms of the Development of the RA Trade-Economic Relations and the Involvement of the Investments . In Mr Azizyan’s opinion, during two years rather good normative-legal circle was created, the main obstacles of free move of productive factors have been eliminated and united markets are formed.

The Head of the Eurasian Development Bank (EADB) Office in Yerevan Sergey Ignatov talked about the implemented programmes and the possibilities of their development in the RA by the Eurasian financial structures. He has underlined that the inner flow of the economic capital investments to Armenia grows.

The First Deputy Minister of the RA Economic Development and Investments Garegin Melkonyan touched upon the current picture of trade-economic cooperation and the perspectives of the development with the EU. Mr Melkonyan also talked about the negotiation process with the EU, the Eastern Partnership multilateral format and the assistance programme being implemented with the EU. The Deputy Minister has noted that in terms of import and export the EU will be a main trade partner for Armenia.

The Head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Office in Yerevan Mark Davis presented the programmes being implemented in Armenia by the European financial structures and the possibilities of their development. He touched upon also the sub-structural support programmes within bilateral technical and neighbourhood framework.

The Minister of the RA Economic Development and Investments Suren Karayan talked about the main works to be done in the financial-economic policy in order to raise the attractiveness for foreign investments.

The Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Vardan Ayvazyan has noted that the efficiency of the investment policy is greatly conditioned also by implementation of tax-budgetary, money-credit and anti-oligarchic policy.

The NKR Representative Andranik Khachatryan has noted that today one of the more attractive spheres for the implementation of the investments is the hydro-energy. He has stated all the spheres of the NKR economy are open for investments and in that respect there is no restriction.

The Acting Executive Director of Armenia Development Fund Karen Mkrtchyan and the President of Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia Arsen Ghazaryan referred to the development of the investment environment and the steps directed to the attractiveness of the foreign investments in Armenia.

The RA Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Harutyunyan touched upon the role of the RA diplomatic corps in the development of foreign economic relations, presented the current situation and the works to be done.

The Deputy Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Alexander Arzumanyan emphasized the parliamentary assistance for the development of the RA foreign economic relations, and in this context presented the experience of some partner countries.

The Head of the International Coopération Business France Organization Philippe Yvergniaux and the Chairman of the Repat Armenia Foundation Raffi Kasarjian presented the international successful experience of the development of the other countries’ foreign economic relations and the applicable examples for the RA.

The Head of the OSCE Secretariat Economic Governance Unit Andrei Muntean talked about the theme Economic Diplomacy: Possibilities and the Best Experience.

The RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan gave a speech on the theme The Factor of the Armenian Diaspora and the Foreign Economic Relations in the Basis of Armenia-Diaspora Cooperation.

The CEO and Chairman of Viasphere Inc. Tony Moroyan and Semina Consulting Founder and CJSC Director Vahe Keushguerian touched upon the expectations of the private sector in the development of the foreign economic ties and the factor of the Armenian Diaspora.

During the hearings the NA deputies Tevan Poghosyan, Khosrov Harutyunyan, Mikayel Melkumyan, the Head of the Local Producers Union NGO Vazgen Safaryan, the Representative of the Management Mix Company Raffy Semerdjian, the Head of the Vivacell-MTS Company Legal Department Armine Sargsyan, the Director of the European Business Association (EBA) Diana Sarumova, and the Responsible on Trade of the European Union Delegation to the RA Karen Azaryan delivered speeches. The speakers touched upon the problems of the business environment, the positive tendencies, legislative regulation and the issues demanding reform in Armenia, presented their viewpoints on the development of the economy, highlighted the fight against corruption and monopolies, also referred to the functioning companies, which with different reasons appeared before the problems of being closed or entering into market.

The speakers considered necessary to improve the business environment, provide equal competitive field for entities, create an economic system, which will be distinct and will provide the protection of foreign investors and entities.

Summing up the parliamentary hearings, the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan thanked the supporting organizations and participants of the organization of the hearings, highlighted their raised issues. By Artak Zakaryan’s assessment, the hearings gave an opportunity to bring together different opinions and pictures on the development of the economy, outlined the programmes and the necessary steps aimed at the future.