YEREVAN, JANUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetan on January 23 had meetings with the heads of major international companies on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum being held in Davos, the government told Armenpress.

The PM’s first meeting in the consulting field was with Hans-Paul Bürkner, Chairman of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). During the meeting the cooperation prospects with the BCG and BCG Digital Ventures were discussed. The PM said Armenia can be interesting to company both as a separate country and as a platform to enter regional markets, stating that being an EAEU member, Armenia uses the EU’s GSP+ privileged trade, and has created the Meghri Free Economic Zone on the border with Iran which can create new opportunities for cooperation. The officials also touched upon the prospects of mutual cooperation.

At present the BCG has offices in 50 countries.

The Armenian PM’s next meeting was with Jean-Yves Charlier, CEO at Veon, and Mark MacGan, Group Chief External Affairs Officer.

At the meeting PM Karapetyan said Armenia appreciates the cooperation with VEON and expressed hope that the company will expand its activity in Armenia and will increase the volume of investments.

The officials also discussed the Digital agenda carried out by the Armenian government, highlighting its importance for the country’s economic development.

The VEON officials said they are satisfied with the results of 2017 and their programs in Armenia will continue. “We are optimistic in regard to Armenia and the region, and we believe that it becomes more attractive for foreign investors”, Jean-Yves Charlier said, adding that he will visit Armenia in near future.