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Armenia's economy insufficiently diversified, PM admits

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  • Armenia's economy insufficiently diversified, PM admits

    Armenia's economy insufficiently diversified, PM admits

    A joint OECD and FAO report forecast that food prices will be high and
    volatile for the next decade, driven by rising incomes in emerging
    nations and demand for biofuel.

    The first difficulty that Armenia encountered in the post crisis
    period is the insufficiently diversified economy, according to Prime
    Minister Tigran Sargsyan. `Reacting on crisis, Armenia focused on
    three directions: diversification, improvement of infrastructure and
    business environment,' the PM said in an interview with CNN. `Further
    we hope to boost business environment and overcome consequences of
    crisis by means of consecutive efforts directed at implementation of
    reforms,' he said.
    June 18, 2011

    PanARMENIAN.Net - Regarding the export share in GDP, which represented
    20% of GDP in 2002, and only 12% to date, the Prime Minister
    acknowledged that, unfortunately, a trade balance in Armenia still
    remains negative. `Export promotion is a primary objective for us, and
    our export is heavily reliant on three areas: mining industry,
    information and high technologies and tourism,' he said.

    Speaking about investments of the Diaspora, Sargsyan said that they
    are highly estimated as high as 60-70% from GDP. `Of course,
    investments from the Diaspora came in Armenia not only in the form of
    foreign direct investments but also as private remittances, which
    allowed to overcome the effects of the economic contraction,' the
    Prime Minister said.

    Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Armenia confirmed its forecasts
    regarding 2011 inflation index. `I do not want to sound too optimistic
    but we will do our utmost to secure inflation level at 5.5%,' CBA
    chairman Arthur Javadyan said, when presenting the outcomes of 2010
    and presenting the Central Bank's projections for 2011.

    According to the forecasts, during the first 6 months of the year
    inflation will remain at 9%. `In summer, deflation will be registered.
    Certainly, there are some risks related to natural conditions and
    sharp increase of global food prices. But we will respond adequately
    in the framework of our monetary policy,' Javadyan said.

    A joint OECD and FAO report forecast that food prices will be high and
    volatile for the next decade, driven by rising incomes in emerging
    nations and demand for biofuel.

    Although prices will probably fall from high levels reached earlier
    this year, long-term price increases of up to 20 percent for cereals
    and 30 percent for meat can be expected, the Organization for Economic
    Cooperation and Development and Food and Agricultural Organization
    warned.

    "A slow growing supply set against expected high demand underlies the
    projection of high and more volatile agricultural commodity prices,"
    they said in their Agricultural Outlook 2011-2020.

    The report forecasts that higher energy prices and limits on land and
    water resources will constrain increases in yields and overall
    production, while growing populations and rising incomes in emerging
    nations such as China and India will sustain strong demand.

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