We Need for Big Investments: Arsen Ghazaryan

Arsen Ghazaryan, Head of the Union of Armenia’s Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, in the interviewee of 168.am.

–Mr. Ghazaryan, what may be expected from negotiations with the European Union from economic standpoint?

–After the document is developed, we all we’ll see. However, economic component is available there.

–Won’t any issue referring economy be accorded with EEU?

– Why not? We’ll appear with a market of 175 million, and not of 2.5-3 million.

–But Armenia isn’t a decision-maker any more.

–Don’t forget, in EEU decisions are not made by consensus. It’s unanimous, if Armenia votes against any function or draft bill damaging its interests, it doesn’t pass.

–Will you bring examples to which economic directions we may cooperate with the EU?

–By any direction. What we export to the EU now, GSP+ is maintained, nobody restricted us. We just need to provide qualified production with proper quantity, so that we’d be able to export to the EU. What is crucial here, we have a regime, which the EU has maintained for us. GSP+ varies a little from free trade regime.

–Do you observe any progress linked to qualified production, as various steps are taken to boost export, however, production volumes don’t increase?

–A different toolset has been worked out, we expect it to give a result, but to export large volumes not only to the EU, but EEU and Middle East as well, to provide quantity we need for big investments for re-equipment and reformation of local production. What we have now, is already a passed stage, so that from cultivation of fruits and vegetables up to wine making and viticulture, we need for long-term serious investments, in particular, so that for instance, more quantity of “Tamara” production was recorded, not monthly 10, but 100 containers were successfully transferred to the USA.

– Where these investments should be found from?

– We expect to obtain those investments from global market, including from our Diaspora as well, and we have great expectations from “Investments for Armenia” Forum to be held in October.

–However, seemingly the global market and our Diaspora don’t hurry making investments in Armenia.

–Nobody hurries to make investments into a small market in a country with closed borders and neighboring enemies. It’s difficult to convince, but we have to.

–Are you sure, that in October the investment Forum will take place, as formerly a few times on similar forums have been announced, last year it was also planned to, but it didn’t?

–I’m sure, it’ll be launched in New York on October 2. Armenia’s business community, substructures will be participants of the forum, probably, it’ll be on presidential level.

By Gayane Khachatryan