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The member of the RA NA Delegation to PABSEC Vahe Enfiajyan delivered a speech at the PABSEC 49^th Economic, Commercial, Technological and Environmental Affairs Committee Meeting, which took place in Tirana on October 19-20.

“Dear Participants,

Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, on behalf of PABSEC Armenian Delegation I would like to welcome the participants and thank our Albanian colleagues for the warm reception and for organising the Committee Meeting at a high level.

Within the framework of the theme under debate I will present the situation in Armenia. It is important to note that at present the development of the innovative sphere in Armenia is one of the main factors of the economic development of the country.

I draw to your attention the national legislation, the innovative sub-structure and the main programs of 2006-2007 in the sphere of innovation.

The RA law on the State Support to the Innovation Activity and a number of RA decisions, which set out the legal bases of the innovative activity, were adopted.

In 2011 Armenia approved the launching strategic concept of the innovative economy formation, and its goal is to make Armenia one of the global scientific-research centers through formation and development of the national innovation system component parts. Within the framework of the strategy a number of programs are implemented in the spheres of the development of legal, educational, physical and financial sub-structural and business skills. At present a new strategy is worked out for the development of the innovative sphere in Armenia, which will include the main steps and actions for the further development of the innovative sector of the country.

In Armenia there are a number of transnational companies in the sphere of high technologies, which import new knowledge and technologies, on the basis of which innovative product is created.

In this phase a modern sub-structure is created for modernisation of the educational system and training specialists of high qualification, where as a result of cooperation with big technological companies a number of general educational programs are implemented.

A number of educational centers and laboratories, such as Armenian National Engineering Laboratory (together with National Instruments), Microsoft Innovation Center, IBM Innovation Technologies and Solutions Center, Gyumri and Vanadzor Technological Centers with modern innovative sub-structures were established.

We take a series of measures for the further development of this sphere. The main challenges are: the strengthening of the relations between scientific and educational block and business, the creation of the new institutes for scientific-technical activity and innovative entrepreneurship financing, as well as the internationalization of the local engineers, programmers and other specialists and companies representing the sphere of Armenia’s high technologies.

One of the important spheres is the protection of the mental property. In Armenia the Mental Property Agency of the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments is responsible for the protection of the mental property. Now, Armenia due to the measures being undertaken by the international organizations occupies rather high positions in the region and in the EEC countries by the number of mental property entities.

Scientific and scientific-technical activity sphere: The RA Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for the scientific and scientific-technical policy. In 2011-2016, in the sphere of scientific and scientific-technical activity a number of initiatives were implemented, particularly:

*improved system of the independent scientific experience,

*online system for the adoption and assessment of the scientific applications,

*two-year program for boosting the young scientists’ survey (up to 35 years) and the post-graduates’ personal encouragement annual program,

*high-qualified, effective scientists’ personal encouragement program participating in the scientific programs by budgetary financing,

*annual program of scientific sub-structures’ modernization,

*two-year program for reaching applied results being implemented by co-financing principle,

*two-year program of CYCLONE 18/18 research themes’ implementation,

* two-year program of the research themes’ implementation in AREAL linear accelerator,

*the creation of the international scientific center and /or/ joint scientific association branches,

*program of providing the right to free access for the state scientific organizations and universities to the resources of the Springer and Web of Science scientific information bases,

*it is indisputable that all the above-mentioned programs and initiatives can more effectively be implemented in the conditions of the open borders of the Black Sea Region.

*we condemn the economic blockade by a PABSEC Member State against other state contradicting the PABSEC principles.

Dear colleagues, I introduce you the recommendations of Armenia for boosting the regional cooperation of PABSEC Member States in the innovative sphere:

*Exchange of educational experience between the leading technical universities of the region, organization of joint educational programs and seminars for the rise of qualification of the high technology sphere employees,

*Exchange of experience of the innovation support events in the small and medium business, discussion of the opportunities for the joint innovative programs and projects.

I wish everybody effective work, thank you for your attention,” Mr Enfiajyan said.