On September 20, in the “Armenia Marriot” hotel the works began the forum “Armenia 2020” under the heading “Productivity and Competitive Growth : Armenia's Sustainable Development Strategy ” Opening the forum, Artashes Kazakhetzyan, Director of “Armenia 2020” program, presented the executive board members of the program and the problems of the forum.

Vahram Nersisyants, RA President’s Adviser on Economic Issues, read RA President Robert Kocharyan’s message.

NA President Artur Baghdasaryan, in the name of the parliament greeted the participants of the forum and expressed confidence that the forum will promote the deepening of the economic amendments in Armenia. He highly estimated “Armenia 2020” program, noting that he knows some members of the board, talked about perspectives of the program, action, goals and problems. Artur Bagdasaryan finds that it’s, perhaps, the first attempt to say what kind of Armenia we’ll have in 2020 and should be zealous for giving course to the program. NA President specified the studies of the tourism sphere, which can be a rather basis for the tourism development in Armenia. Though, today all speak about the tourism development in Armenia, but evidently should accept that one can’t go ahead by words, but - by concrete programs, explicit strategic programs, and displaying consistence, that those programs will be realized in the life. I think that the time has come and even we have been late, we should work together to create the business plan of the development of Armenia, i.e. not according to the branches but complete, and which development priorities will have our country, which economic branches should declare priority for Armenia. I would like to give an example, the thing is the light industry, which in the Soviet years still contained a great potential of the development in the republic. And today, when we study the experience of a number of countries, we see that the light industry in Armenia has rather serious opportunities of the development. In our country the 65-70% of the unemployed are young women, they are 40-50 years old, and they have no possibility to work in the job market. Today, for our nation, for our country the foremost problem is to provide the people with job. Today, the people want from the state only one thing – job and to get opportunity keeping their family with job. As there is a necessity to work out strategic and tactical programs of certain branches of economy, there is also necessity to work out global concepts in the name of the National Assembly. I apply to the participants of “Armenia 2020” program informing our readiness to support the implementation of the program. NA President highlighted the creation of the business plan of Armenia, the elimination of the obstacles of the development of the economy of Armenia. “Business shouldn’t become a combination of sport and war, business should become a possibility to freely express the people’s opportunities, creative ability and the state should appear not as a press machine, but as a partner,” said Artur Baghdasaryan. He thanked the program’s executive board members that living in different countries, consolidating in 2002, they have been able to put good basis for Armenia and continue.

NA President also answered the journalists’ questions covering forum “Armenia 2020.”

- Your estimations to the presented scenarios, to what extent are they realistic?

- First, the idea itself that a number of compatriots, a big number of people were consolidated and have decided to give their vision, their view of the development of Armenia, has already been greeted. I greeted this program, this idea, because people pursue good goals, light goals, trying to present their viewpoints about the foremost of the economic development of Armenia. I think there is really a necessity, according to the branches of the economy, to work out distinct strategy of the development, then all that sum up in one united business plan, which will be the business plan of the economic development of Armenia and also consistently begin the process of the fulfillment of that business plan. Young men from USA, Russia, Germany our compatriots, if they think to promote with their participation to economic reforms taking place in Armenia, we should assist them. I think that in future we should work jointly with the participation of all the interested ministries, institutions, as well as by their support having a decision concerning the priorities of the development of the economy.

- Mr. Baghdasaryan, in your opinion, is the business elite of Armenia ready to perceive such programs and those programs make sound in its business plan?

- We have wonderful businessmen, our people always distinguish by their special/ talent in the business sphere, and I think that such discussions have important meaning, because finally they tried to give an answer to an important question: which kind of Armenia we’ll have in 2020? So, speaking about the development of the economy of the country, about the strategy of the priorities, I think it’s very important that today our businessmen also take part, as well as the representatives of science sphere, representatives of the government, and we’ll jointly promote, so that this business plan becomes a reality.

- Mr. Baghdasaryan, here it was highlighted that the government has its participation in the further process of developing the strategy, how will the government take part?

- I think that the government also will greet the fulfillment of this program. You listened to RA President’s message, the indicated directions in the message, so I think that the government also will have its active participation, in any case, I, as NA President, announced, that the National Assembly is ready, in all appearances, either take part or support. Having been done a very good thing: people were consolidated, young men, Armenians from the different countries of the world, they want to bring their professional advisory assistance to the economic development of Armenia, which we should greet, work together for having better Armenia, for having more competitive Armenia. And for all of us is clear that today, more than ever, it’s necessary to our country, according to the branches, the priorities of the economic development, which will be summed up, as I noted, in one jointly business plan, which also will show everybody, with what kind of economic priorities Armenia will develop, by which preference of the branches we can promote our country, and generally, we’ll have concepts: as many public discussions we organize, as many positive results we’ll have.

- Mr. Baghdasaryan, and personally you, how do you see Armenia in 2020?

- We should be able to study the progressive experience of the world, plus the national peculiarities of our country and form the economic development program of the country. In 2020, first of all, I would like to see a country anchored on the firm democratic traditions, having good opportunities of the economic development, competitive and organized. Today, we confidently can say that we go step by step in that direction but it’s necessary for us to make a burst, for that I consider important the creation of jobs, that people can keep their family, keep their home. This is the first priority: for creating those jobs we should have economic plan, economic priority, right imperatives of the development of the country. According to this, I consider this discussion very important.

Then, Nubar Afeyan, Director of “Flagship Ventures” company presented the program of the organization and the goals of the forum. The forum continued by presenting the results of the sociological survey and discussion of the scenarios of “The Second Stage of the Economic Growth of Armenia,” “The Trust Friendship of the competitiveness of Armenia,” “The Development of Certain Sections in Armenia”, “The Vision of Armenia’s future,” and was summed by the differentiation of further actions of the program.