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ANCA roundtable explores growth of US-Armenia economic ties
http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/02/09/anca-roundtable-explores-growth-of-us-armenia-economic-ties/
11:44 09.02.2013
Representatives of the Department of State, the Armenian Embassy, and
the Armenian American community shared views and explored practical
paths toward expanded U.S.-Armenia bilateral trade and investment, at
a roundtable talk hosted this week by the Armenian National Committee
of America (ANCA).
The town-hall format meeting, held in the Aramian Conference Room of
the ANCA's Washington headquarters, was opened by Executive Director
Aram Hamparian, who noted that the purpose of the roundtable, and the
broader challenge before American friends of Armenia, was to pursue
practical and productive avenues to act on the existing consensus
behind expanded U.S.-Armenia economic relations. Hamparian cited the
broad range of supportive stakeholders in the process, ranging from
the U.S. and Armenian governments to the Armenian American community
and a broad array of American companies doing business in Armenia.
ANCA Trade and Investment Policy Specialist Nora Khanarian, Ph.D., in
a presentation outlining the current state of economic relations and
setting forth possible future scenarios for U.S.-Armenia relations,
stressed that there are a variety of ways in which these relations can
be strengthened in parallel - at the government, business, and
individual levels - each building upon the foundation that has
progressively been put in place since Armenia's independence. She
added that, despite the challenges of doing business in any emerging
market, a stronger partnership would nurture the positive trends in
Armenia over the past 10 years. This progress would help move Armenia
from a reliance on aid towards trade, transitioning into one of the
freest economies in the region, and demonstrating competitive
advantages in specific sectors such as IT and pharmaceuticals-with
mutual benefits to both the U.S. and Armenia.
Speaking on behalf of the Department of State, Justin Friedman, the
Director of the Office of Caucasus Affairs and Regional Conflicts,
voiced the U.S. government's interest in mutually beneficial expanded
bilateral economic relations with Armenia. Friedman, who is
responsible for managing the full spectrum of U.S. relations with
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, reviewed the full array of U.S.
efforts with Armenia to deepen economic ties, and underscored the
importance of the United States partnering to help make Armenia
competitive internationally. While noting positive third-party
indicators, he also addressed a number of issues the U.S. government
views as meaningful obstacles to improved commercial relations,
highlighting specific areas in which the United States would like to
see critical reforms. Among these were increased transparency,
improved fairness in taxation, and better enforcement of contracts.
During the discussion portion of the program, Andranik Hovhannisyan,
Ph.D., the Armenian Embassy's Counselor, stressed Armenia's interest
in expanded bilateral economic ties, and noted that Armenia's progress
in the area of economic reform has been reflected in positive ratings
by an array of respected institutions, such as the World Bank, Wall
Street Journal, Heritage Foundation, and Freedom House. He reviewed
Armenia's economic engagement strategy, highlighting the European
Union's broad economic engagement with Armenia, and expressing support
for a similarly robust trade and investment relationship with the
United States.
Among those offering insights, sharing suggestions, and asking
questions were former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans,
as well as Armenian Americans and friends of Armenia working
professionally in the Congress, the Administration, think tanks,
advocacy groups, and elsewhere throughout Washington, DC's public
policy community. The program, characterized by open discourse and a
robust back-and-forth exchange of ideas, lasted approximately two
hours.
In recent weeks, the ANCA - along with the American Chamber of
Commerce in Armenia and major corporations, including Microsoft,
FedEx, and NASDAQ - has called on the U.S. government to respond
favorably to the Armenian government's longstanding interest in
negotiating a badly-needed U.S.-Armenia Trade and Investment Framework
Agreement and a long-overdue Double Tax Treaty.
From: A. Papazian
http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/02/09/anca-roundtable-explores-growth-of-us-armenia-economic-ties/
11:44 09.02.2013
Representatives of the Department of State, the Armenian Embassy, and
the Armenian American community shared views and explored practical
paths toward expanded U.S.-Armenia bilateral trade and investment, at
a roundtable talk hosted this week by the Armenian National Committee
of America (ANCA).
The town-hall format meeting, held in the Aramian Conference Room of
the ANCA's Washington headquarters, was opened by Executive Director
Aram Hamparian, who noted that the purpose of the roundtable, and the
broader challenge before American friends of Armenia, was to pursue
practical and productive avenues to act on the existing consensus
behind expanded U.S.-Armenia economic relations. Hamparian cited the
broad range of supportive stakeholders in the process, ranging from
the U.S. and Armenian governments to the Armenian American community
and a broad array of American companies doing business in Armenia.
ANCA Trade and Investment Policy Specialist Nora Khanarian, Ph.D., in
a presentation outlining the current state of economic relations and
setting forth possible future scenarios for U.S.-Armenia relations,
stressed that there are a variety of ways in which these relations can
be strengthened in parallel - at the government, business, and
individual levels - each building upon the foundation that has
progressively been put in place since Armenia's independence. She
added that, despite the challenges of doing business in any emerging
market, a stronger partnership would nurture the positive trends in
Armenia over the past 10 years. This progress would help move Armenia
from a reliance on aid towards trade, transitioning into one of the
freest economies in the region, and demonstrating competitive
advantages in specific sectors such as IT and pharmaceuticals-with
mutual benefits to both the U.S. and Armenia.
Speaking on behalf of the Department of State, Justin Friedman, the
Director of the Office of Caucasus Affairs and Regional Conflicts,
voiced the U.S. government's interest in mutually beneficial expanded
bilateral economic relations with Armenia. Friedman, who is
responsible for managing the full spectrum of U.S. relations with
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, reviewed the full array of U.S.
efforts with Armenia to deepen economic ties, and underscored the
importance of the United States partnering to help make Armenia
competitive internationally. While noting positive third-party
indicators, he also addressed a number of issues the U.S. government
views as meaningful obstacles to improved commercial relations,
highlighting specific areas in which the United States would like to
see critical reforms. Among these were increased transparency,
improved fairness in taxation, and better enforcement of contracts.
During the discussion portion of the program, Andranik Hovhannisyan,
Ph.D., the Armenian Embassy's Counselor, stressed Armenia's interest
in expanded bilateral economic ties, and noted that Armenia's progress
in the area of economic reform has been reflected in positive ratings
by an array of respected institutions, such as the World Bank, Wall
Street Journal, Heritage Foundation, and Freedom House. He reviewed
Armenia's economic engagement strategy, highlighting the European
Union's broad economic engagement with Armenia, and expressing support
for a similarly robust trade and investment relationship with the
United States.
Among those offering insights, sharing suggestions, and asking
questions were former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans,
as well as Armenian Americans and friends of Armenia working
professionally in the Congress, the Administration, think tanks,
advocacy groups, and elsewhere throughout Washington, DC's public
policy community. The program, characterized by open discourse and a
robust back-and-forth exchange of ideas, lasted approximately two
hours.
In recent weeks, the ANCA - along with the American Chamber of
Commerce in Armenia and major corporations, including Microsoft,
FedEx, and NASDAQ - has called on the U.S. government to respond
favorably to the Armenian government's longstanding interest in
negotiating a badly-needed U.S.-Armenia Trade and Investment Framework
Agreement and a long-overdue Double Tax Treaty.
From: A. Papazian