Armenia's Economic Pulse

[armnuke]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Fingers crossed for this to go ahead. Nairit chemical plants might re-open.

Վարչապետին ներկայացվելու են «Նաիրիտի» վերականգման և Իրան-ՀՀ երկաթուղու կառուցման ներդրումային ծրագրերը

http://panarmenian.net/arm/news/221963

[armnuke]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Armenia up 3 places to 79th on global competitiveness index

http://www.panorama.am/en/news/2016/09/28/Armenia/1650118

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

We are building Silk Road to Europe via Iran, says president of pan-European Armenian organization

10:19 • 14.09.16



In an interview with Tert.am, the president of the Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe shared his vision of the new Silk Road project which he said is expected to connect Armenia to the European continent via Iran.

All the programs, elaborated in collaboration with former Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan’s cabinet are now going to be submitted to Karen Karapetyan, the newly appointed premier, Ashot Grigoryan said.

“Our holding, EU-Asia Business Financing Center, targets its efforts towards developing Armenia’s economy,” he said.

“Our programs cover not only Armenia but also its connections with Europe. Iran is collaborating with our company on the Slovakian government’s level, and the [collaboration] is developing very intensively. We have proposed Armenia as a transit route connecting Iran with Europe. That gives Armenia a maximum benefit it couldn’t have otherwise dreamed of. As for Iran, it pursues one interest: the Iran-Armenia-Poti railway, whose construction we are ready to fully fund,” he said, adding that the project is worth about 1 billion Euros.

“Aside from Poti, we have developed and are going to launch a new and very interesting logistic program to ship goods to Danube in sea-river cargo vessels. For that purpose, we are going to purchase a port. The interest for Slovakia is our plan to operate a huge network of storehouses to deliver the goods to [the EU] member states.

“The holding was founded to promote the EU-Asia cooperation with a special focus on the Iran-Armenia-Europe trend. What we are practically creating is a new Silk Road through Danube, instead of connecting Iran to Russia through Armenia (which Azerbaijan did by building a Silk Road). As for Iran, it has a direct route to India and China.”

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2016/09/14/grigoryan/2132423

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Tourism Review
Sept 11 2016

ARMENIA: RURAL TOURISM TO RECEIVE INVESTMENTSxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx








A new development program focused on 60 rural regions in Armenia has been launched in the UN Office in Yerevan. Titled “The Development of Integrated Tourism” the aim of the project is to develop areas not often visited by tourists and decrease the poverty of locals.
86% of tourists visiting Armenia either stay in Yerevan, the capital city, or visit places that are closest to the capital like Garni, Gerghard or Etchmiadzin. As a result, the inhabitants of other Armenian regions do not get any benefit from the tourism inflow to the country.
In an effort to resolve the issue, the UN Nations Development Programme took the initiative to implement the project in Armenia. The aim is to develop rural tourism in the country. Its authors hope that within three years, towards the end of the project, poverty will be reduced significantly in sixty Armenian villages. Other than that, tourism should be also boosted.
“We believe that rural tourism is the market, whose development will promote the economic development throughout the country,” said the permanent representative of the UN Development Programme, Bradley Buzetto, during the presentation of the project in the UN Office in Yerevan.
According to him, the key to the project’s success is active cooperation of the government of Armenia with foreign partners involved in its implementation.
The cost of the project is 3 million dollars which will be paid by the Russian government. The deputy director of the Department of International Organizations of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dmitry Maksimichev said: “The programme is aimed at assisting the commensurate development of the rural regions and the creation of favorable environment for the development of villages. As a part of the project Russian experts will cooperate with Armenia.”
Incidentally, the Russian government has already been implementing a project worth five million dollars in villages of the Tavush region in Armenia. Its aim is rural development, agricultural production, and reduction of poverty. The project started in 2015 and is scheduled to be completed in 2019.
The project beneficiaries are 60,000 rural inhabitants. In the rural tourism development programme presented today in Yerevan sixty Armenian villages will be involved.
Experts will first of all examine tourist possibilities of the villages. Afterwards they will create business plans for small agribusinesses.
About one million dollars will be allocated for the improvement of rural infrastructure and water and gas supply systems. Without these, tourists are unlikely to stay in the villages.

http://www.tourism-review.com/rural-tourism-in-armenia-developing-news5119

[armnuke]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Honestly the more time I spend in Armenia, and the more I realize how full of it everyone in this country is, the more faith I develop in our government. It's unbelievable how misinformed our population is and lazy our population is when it comes to facts, how willing they are to just repeat something without spending ten seconds verifying it on their phone. I used to think, maybe there are really some things I don't understand, and won't understand until I live in Armenia. Absolutely false. Almost nothing anyone believes here is based on fact or personal experience. It's all something they heard from the neighbor of the cousin of their mother in law. The daily conversations you have with people, their perception of life in Georgia, of corruption in Armenia. And these are conversations with high level professionals, with engineers, architects, and project managers, who have every opportunity to know better. I can't imagine what the average uneducated person thinks.

Anyway, Artsvik Minasyan for president sounds pretty good right about now

I've been living in Armenia for 2 years and you are SO right!!

[armnuke]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Special thanks to Electric Yerevan.

Electric Networks of Armenia ends first half of 2016 with net profit of 15 billion drams

YEREVAN, September 6. /ARKA/. The Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), Armenia’s national power distribution company, ended the first half of 2016 with the net profit of 15 billion drams, the local daily "Zhoghovurd" (People) says.

According to the newspaper, the company earned more than 151.1 billion drams from electricity sales, 33.5 billion drams in income, while its expenses were worth 18.5 billion drams, as a result the company’s net profit amounted to 15 billion drams.

The daily also notes that the company's losses for the second quarter of this year decreased again reaching 10%. In general, ENA’s losses rate this year made 10.7% or 303.5 million KWh, which is 60 million KWh less than in the first half of 2015.

http://arka.am/en/news/technology/electric_networks_of_armenia_ends_first_half_of_2016_with_net_profit_of_15_billion_drams/

[armnuke]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Armenia is transiting Iranian gas to Georgia!!

24,7 million cubic meters of gas was exported to Georgia from Armenia in the first six months of 2016. The total number of the exported gas amounted to $6,2 million, the State Revenue Committee said in a statement Monday, September 6.
Georgia has thus paid over $250 per every 1000 cubic meters of gas received.
Iran and Georgia in the winter of 2016 agreed on the export of 500 million cubic meters of gas via Armenia.

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/220067/62_mln_worth_gas_shipped_to_Georgia_from_Armenia

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Honestly the more time I spend in Armenia, and the more I realize how full of it everyone in this country is, the more faith I develop in our government. It's unbelievable how misinformed our population is and lazy our population is when it comes to facts, how willing they are to just repeat something without spending ten seconds verifying it on their phone. I used to think, maybe there are really some things I don't understand, and won't understand until I live in Armenia. Absolutely false. Almost nothing anyone believes here is based on fact or personal experience. It's all something they heard from the neighbor of the cousin of their mother in law. The daily conversations you have with people, their perception of life in Georgia, of corruption in Armenia. And these are conversations with high level professionals, with engineers, architects, and project managers, who have every opportunity to know better. I can't imagine what the average uneducated person thinks.

Anyway, Artsvik Minasyan for president sounds pretty good right about now

The void you describe between reality and perception is in no small part due to the inability of the government to communicate with her people and develop trust. Malevolent forces are surely at play but what does the government do to enhance its own image among the people? There is a long history of corruption and only a fool would think that this scourge is now gone, but other governments with far more corruption enjoy a much higher level of trust among their populations compared to ours. This is the result of the lack of sophistication among our ruling elites. This same lack of imagination limits our economic development as well.

[Mher]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Every single doom and gloom prediction from joining the EEU is collapsing one by one. The latest doom and gloom prediction to collapse is that "joining the EEU would hurt trade with Georgia." It hasn't, we have maintained our free trade with them and our trade is growing.


Armenian, Georgian Leaders Hail Growing Bilateral Trade

Armenia’s leaders and Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili hailed rapidly growing trade between their countries and called for its further expansion when they met in Yerevan on Monday.

Kvirikashvili held talks President Serzh Sarkisian and Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian during an official visit to the Armenian capital.

Sarkisian told him that Georgian-Armenian relations should be deepened “in all areas” and raised to a “qualitatively new level.” According to a statement by Sarkisian’s office, Kvirikashvili agreed, saying that the increasingly “active” Georgian-Armenian economic ties bode well for that.

Kvirikashvili and Abrahamian were reported to praise “positive dynamics” in Georgian-Armenian trade at their separate meeting held earlier in the day. The Armenian premier spoke of “noticeable progress” in relations between the two neighboring statements.


“In recent years, Georgian-Armenian relations have been characterized by positive progress,” an Armenian government statement quoted Kvirikashvili as saying. He praised the “high level of cooperation in the economic field.”

According to Armenian government data, Armenia’s trade with Georgia rose by 17 percent in 2015 and as much as 63 percent in the first half of this year, even if it remained rather modest in absolute terms.

The rapid growth followed the 2014 signing of Georgia’s far-reaching Association Agreement with the European Union and Armenia’s controversial accession in January 2015 to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

The EEU membership requires the Armenian authorities to gradually adopt significantly higher duties that are collected by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan from goods imported from third countries. But contrary to many expectations, Armenia appears to have succeeded in maintaining its free-trade regime with Georgia and Armenia.

Abrahamian suggested on Monday the creation of Armenian-Georgian joint ventures in Armenia that would have tariff-free access to the Russian and other EEU markets. “Georgia’s prime minister welcomed the idea and proposed to discuss further steps in the format of a joint task force,” a read a statement released by his press service.

The statement said the two prime ministers also noted that the ongoing construction of a new bridge at the main Georgian-Armenian border crossing is proceeding according to plan. The two governments agreed to build it in 2014. They said the “friendship bridge” will facilitate bilateral commerce and travel.

Abrahamian and Kvirikashvili also discussed the planned construction of a new high-voltage transmission line connecting their Armenian and Georgian power grids. The $105 million facility should lead to a sharp increase in mutual electricity supplies.

Incidentally, Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze was among Georgian officials that accompanied Kvirikashvili on the trip.

http://www.azatutyun.am/a/27968516.html

Honestly the more time I spend in Armenia, and the more I realize how full of it everyone in this country is, the more faith I develop in our government. It's unbelievable how misinformed our population is and lazy our population is when it comes to facts, how willing they are to just repeat something without spending ten seconds verifying it on their phone. I used to think, maybe there are really some things I don't understand, and won't understand until I live in Armenia. Absolutely false. Almost nothing anyone believes here is based on fact or personal experience. It's all something they heard from the neighbor of the cousin of their mother in law. The daily conversations you have with people, their perception of life in Georgia, of corruption in Armenia. And these are conversations with high level professionals, with engineers, architects, and project managers, who have every opportunity to know better. I can't imagine what the average uneducated person thinks.

Anyway, Artsvik Minasyan for president sounds pretty good right about now

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Every single doom and gloom prediction from joining the EEU is collapsing one by one. The latest doom and gloom prediction to collapse is that "joining the EEU would hurt trade with Georgia." It hasn't, we have maintained our free trade with them and our trade is growing.


Armenian, Georgian Leaders Hail Growing Bilateral Trade
Armenia’s leaders and Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili hailed rapidly growing trade between their countries and called for its further expansion when they met in Yerevan on Monday.

Kvirikashvili held talks President Serzh Sarkisian and Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian during an official visit to the Armenian capital.

Sarkisian told him that Georgian-Armenian relations should be deepened “in all areas” and raised to a “qualitatively new level.” According to a statement by Sarkisian’s office, Kvirikashvili agreed, saying that the increasingly “active” Georgian-Armenian economic ties bode well for that.

Kvirikashvili and Abrahamian were reported to praise “positive dynamics” in Georgian-Armenian trade at their separate meeting held earlier in the day. The Armenian premier spoke of “noticeable progress” in relations between the two neighboring statements.


“In recent years, Georgian-Armenian relations have been characterized by positive progress,” an Armenian government statement quoted Kvirikashvili as saying. He praised the “high level of cooperation in the economic field.”

According to Armenian government data, Armenia’s trade with Georgia rose by 17 percent in 2015 and as much as 63 percent in the first half of this year, even if it remained rather modest in absolute terms.

The rapid growth followed the 2014 signing of Georgia’s far-reaching Association Agreement with the European Union and Armenia’s controversial accession in January 2015 to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

The EEU membership requires the Armenian authorities to gradually adopt significantly higher duties that are collected by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan from goods imported from third countries. But contrary to many expectations, Armenia appears to have succeeded in maintaining its free-trade regime with Georgia and Armenia.

Abrahamian suggested on Monday the creation of Armenian-Georgian joint ventures in Armenia that would have tariff-free access to the Russian and other EEU markets. “Georgia’s prime minister welcomed the idea and proposed to discuss further steps in the format of a joint task force,” a read a statement released by his press service.

The statement said the two prime ministers also noted that the ongoing construction of a new bridge at the main Georgian-Armenian border crossing is proceeding according to plan. The two governments agreed to build it in 2014. They said the “friendship bridge” will facilitate bilateral commerce and travel.

Abrahamian and Kvirikashvili also discussed the planned construction of a new high-voltage transmission line connecting their Armenian and Georgian power grids. The $105 million facility should lead to a sharp increase in mutual electricity supplies.

Incidentally, Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze was among Georgian officials that accompanied Kvirikashvili on the trip.

http://www.azatutyun.am/a/27968516.html

And all this despite western sabotage. I still say there are opportunities being missed due to incompetence and lack of imagination on our part.