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The three-day International Trade and Investment Forum began with an official opening ceremony in the foyer of Yerevan City Hall.
A total of 250 delegates from 38 countries have arrived in Armenia to take part in the forum and establish direct business ties with international distributors, importers, retail chains and buyers, as well as Armenian producers of food, fresh fruit, vegetables and beverages.
In his remarks, Yerevan Deputy Mayor Levon Hovhannisyan said the presence of so many participants demonstrated Armenia’s increasingly active engagement with the international business community and the growing presence of Armenian products in new markets.
“This forum is an important platform for showcasing Armenian products and our country’s export potential, and for bringing together people’s ideas and business opportunities. It is particularly important that this year’s forum focuses on food and beverages, as Armenia can offer the world high-value, distinctive and competitive products. The forthcoming meetings between international buyers, importers and Armenian companies will mark the beginning of both one-off business contacts and long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships,” Hovhannisyan said.
The deputy mayor said Armenia’s capital was ready to serve as a platform for this cooperation. He noted that Yerevan would celebrate its 2,808th anniversary in two days, demonstrating that the capital, with its centuries-long history, continued to live, develop and open itself to the world. He said it was symbolic that such a large and broadly representative forum was taking place in Yerevan at this time.
Armenian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Vahan Kostanyan said this year’s forum had a particularly important focus: identifying new foreign markets for Armenia and Armenian products.
“Today, diversifying export markets and identifying new markets is one of the Armenian government’s foremost priorities. Work in this direction is multifaceted and varied. First, I would highlight the programmes implemented over the past few years by the government, particularly our colleagues at the Ministry of Economy, to improve Armenia’s quality infrastructure. It is important to us that Armenian products are associated with quality. The second area is providing a political framework that enables our producers to identify potential new markets. Together with the Investment Council of Armenia and other partners, we have worked to establish links between our businesses and major international chains,” Kostanyan said.
According to the deputy minister, the third important area comprises government support programmes designed to ensure that Armenian producers’ first steps proceed as smoothly as possible.
Alexandra Cole, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Armenia, said this was the best time to connect Armenian producers with international buyers.
“Many international partners are visiting Armenia, recognising the true value of the opportunities available. The United Kingdom is proud to support Armenia’s efforts to build a competitive, open and diversified economy, where the opportunities are truly exciting and stimulating. Our cooperation with the Investment Council enables us to improve the business environment and public–private dialogue, and support reforms that allow companies to invest, innovate and enter new markets,” Cole said.
The diplomat said export diversification was crucial to Armenia’s long-term economic stability, making the focus on this issue particularly valuable.
“In the United Kingdom, we recently agreed to add several new product categories to the list of goods from Armenia eligible for duty-free imports. Therefore, I think that when meeting producers in the coming days, it is worth bearing in mind that many of these products, particularly fresh fruit, certain types of canned fruit, wine, herbs and spices, will be imported duty-free,” the ambassador said.
Head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s office in Armenia, Rémon Zakaria, said the bank also supported the diversification of Armenia’s economy.
“Through our cooperation with the European Union, we have instruments that we deploy through commercial banks to support local businesses, both through advice and investment. All of this is aimed at diversifying activities, improving the environment and ultimately ensuring standards that meet the requirements of other markets. I greatly appreciate this initiative and must say that Armenian products are truly of high quality,” Zakaria said.
Speaking to journalists, Hovsep Patvakanyan, Head of the Investment Council of Armenia, said the forum aimed to enable local producers to negotiate with international partners and conclude mutually beneficial deals.
“In other words, we want to hold discussions and take concrete steps towards cooperation. Armenian products will be presented during the forum, and there will be visits to various factories to identify areas for further cooperation. Participants include major owners of retail chains in the Persian Gulf, European countries and Latin America who can help Armenian producers diversify their exports. They want to learn more and familiarise themselves with the certification process so that they can import large quantities of products in the future,” Patvakanyan said.
He said preliminary agreements were already in place and that they would monitor the results over the next six months.
The opening ceremony was followed by a presentation of the TradeArmenia.org platform and two panel discussions dedicated to access to the EU market and Armenia’s trade and export opportunities.
The first discussion featured Armenian Deputy Minister of Economy Tigran Gasparyan, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Armenia Johann Hesse, Estonian Ambassador to Armenia Marge Mardisalu-Kahar, and International Trade Centre representative Pierre Bonthonneau.
The second discussion brought together representatives of Sweden’s National Board of Trade, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, and business communities from Greece and the United Arab Emirates.