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President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan, along with other government officials, as well as academics and representatives of the private sector, attended the Landscape of Transportation Logistics in Armenia roundtable discussion organized by the Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE).
The agenda of the discussion included the current challenges of Armenia's logistics system, potential development opportunities, and ways to improve transportation logistics.
President Khachaturyan, who is also the Chairman of the Board of the university, said that the discussion is taking place at a time of strategic importance for Armenia.
“One of the most discussed topics today is the Crossroads of Peace initiative presented by the Republic of Armenia. We introduced this idea two years ago, and at first, it was met with considerable skepticism. However, over time, the Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and our officials have consistently presented it on various international platforms. Since August 8, we are dealing with a new reality— the idea has been transformed into a memorandum of understanding signed between Armenia and the United States,” President Khachaturyan said.
The President noted that the implementation of the initiative requires the development of institutional capacities, scientific analyses, and precise calculations.
“To bring this idea to life, it is necessary to create structures that will assess all our resources and capabilities. In order for Armenia to become a crossroads of peace, economy, and transportation, we need scientifically grounded documents and calculations. Political decisions can only be made when they are based on professional and scientific justification,” he added.
Khachaturyan also urged the academic community and experts to be more specific in their proposals. “I would like the Amberd Research Center and other institutions to present concrete results— with numerical data, models, and forecasts. This will help the government and officials negotiating with international partners present clearer positions,” said the President.
ASUE Rector Armen Grigoryan emphasized that since independence, Armenia has faced the challenges of regional isolation, which have limited the country’s economic potential. "One of the main factors limiting our economic capabilities has been transportation isolation. We are grateful to the Office of the Security Council for commissioning such a study to the Amberd Center. Today, we will present its preliminary results, with the goal of defining concrete pathways for improving the logistics system," he stated.
During the discussion, experts from the Amberd Research Center presented three reports on the assessment of Armenia's logistics system, the economic-mathematical analysis, and the justification for development pathways.