International experts to discuss ways for Armenia’s development in Dilijan resort

September 10, 2010 - 13:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said that Armenia’s long-term development will be discussed during a forum titled “Armenia after the Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities” to be held on September 11 in Dilijan resort (Tavush region, Armenia).

“The forum will focus on Armenia’s 20-year path, lessons taught by the crisis, economic reforms, as well as the model by which Armenia should be guided, relative advantages and weaknesses of our economy and other matters,” Sargsyan told journalists on September 10 in Yerevan.

For his part, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, Mr. Philippe Le Houérou, who is on a four-day visit to Armenia, said that he is not ready to comment on Armenia’s macroeconomic development. “This is my first visit. I have already familiarized myself with numerous figures and looked through various schedules. On September 11, I have a meeting with the RA government, moreover, famous experts from different countries, including the Polish ex-minister of finance, ex-president of Chile, a specialist of Harvard University, are invited to Armenia. And we will try to answer the existing questions,” he said.

Philippe Le Houérou noted that Armenia is a country with a small open economy, which is rather vulnerable to external impacts. “But we know that high centralization and low volumes of export are observed here, like in many other similar economies. And I agree with the Prime Minister that it is necessary to define the ways for Armenia’s development. Meanwhile, it is much more difficult in the post-crisis period than in a pre-crisis one,” concluded Mr. Philippe Le Houérou.