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COOPERATION BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND TURKISH ENTREPRENEURS WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO OPENING OF BORDERS: EXPERT
/ARKA/
December 15, 2011
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, December 15. /ARKA/. Increasing ties between Armenian and
Turkish entrepreneurs will reduce tension between the two nations
and eventually lead to the opening of the borders, Artush Lazarian,
the Armenian coordinator of the Caucasus Business Development Network
(CBDN) said to ARKA.
On December 14 The Gyumri Development Foundation launched the second
"Gyumri-Kars Economic Forum". The three-day event is organized as
part of the "Support to Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement" project, and is
supported by the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) and implemented by the Consortium of the Eurasia Partnership
Foundation, the Yerevan Press Club, the International Center for Human
Development and the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers)
of Armenia. The Forum is co-supported by UK-based International Alert.
The second forum has brought together approximately 30 Armenian and
Turkish business owners from Gyumri, Vanadzor, and Kars, including
cheese makers, wine producers, specialists in meat and dairy
production, tourism and hospitality, and stone processing.
"The two countries have no diplomatic relations and we are trying
to fill in this gap. Our task now is to create an environment for
businesses in both countries," Mr. Lazarian said in an interview
with ARKA. According to him, the closed borders is a huge impediment
to businesses.
"If the borders were opened the trade turnover between the two
countries would reach several billion dollars", he stressed.
CBDN was founded in 2005 as an institutionalised network of regional
offices in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Tskhinvali, Sokhumi, Yerevan, Gyumri,
Baku, in Nagorno-Karabakh and in Istanbul. The scope of their
work ranges from training, consultations for local entrepreneurs,
sponsorship of business initiatives, research, and advocacy. The
network is an effective information exchange mechanism and ensures
coordinated work of the individual centers, timely assistance and
decision making. There are also bi-lateral, tri-lateral and regional
activities and events that are being carried out under the aegis of
the CBDN and International Alert in cooperation with local businesses
and business associations and international partners. CBDN supports
creation of new platforms to promote regional economic cooperation
(Caucasian Tea Producers' Association, Women's Economic Forum, etc)
and supports business initiatives that are for mutually beneficial
and promote positive change.
/ARKA/
December 15, 2011
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, December 15. /ARKA/. Increasing ties between Armenian and
Turkish entrepreneurs will reduce tension between the two nations
and eventually lead to the opening of the borders, Artush Lazarian,
the Armenian coordinator of the Caucasus Business Development Network
(CBDN) said to ARKA.
On December 14 The Gyumri Development Foundation launched the second
"Gyumri-Kars Economic Forum". The three-day event is organized as
part of the "Support to Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement" project, and is
supported by the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) and implemented by the Consortium of the Eurasia Partnership
Foundation, the Yerevan Press Club, the International Center for Human
Development and the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers)
of Armenia. The Forum is co-supported by UK-based International Alert.
The second forum has brought together approximately 30 Armenian and
Turkish business owners from Gyumri, Vanadzor, and Kars, including
cheese makers, wine producers, specialists in meat and dairy
production, tourism and hospitality, and stone processing.
"The two countries have no diplomatic relations and we are trying
to fill in this gap. Our task now is to create an environment for
businesses in both countries," Mr. Lazarian said in an interview
with ARKA. According to him, the closed borders is a huge impediment
to businesses.
"If the borders were opened the trade turnover between the two
countries would reach several billion dollars", he stressed.
CBDN was founded in 2005 as an institutionalised network of regional
offices in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Tskhinvali, Sokhumi, Yerevan, Gyumri,
Baku, in Nagorno-Karabakh and in Istanbul. The scope of their
work ranges from training, consultations for local entrepreneurs,
sponsorship of business initiatives, research, and advocacy. The
network is an effective information exchange mechanism and ensures
coordinated work of the individual centers, timely assistance and
decision making. There are also bi-lateral, tri-lateral and regional
activities and events that are being carried out under the aegis of
the CBDN and International Alert in cooperation with local businesses
and business associations and international partners. CBDN supports
creation of new platforms to promote regional economic cooperation
(Caucasian Tea Producers' Association, Women's Economic Forum, etc)
and supports business initiatives that are for mutually beneficial
and promote positive change.