Friday, 6 November 2009
RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan is paying a working visit to the USA to participate in the Arm Tech – 2009 Armenian high-tech industry congress.
On November 5, Tigran Sargsyan went to Stanford University, a leading academic and educational center worldwide. The head of the Armenian government called at the SLAC linear accelerator’s center, walked round its labs and research units and met with the representatives of the Union of Armenian Students of Stanford University.
Thursday students briefed the Prime Minister on their organization’s objectives, tasks and current activities. During the meeting, the head of the executive answered the students’ questions concerning Armenia’s competitiveness, infrastructure development, as well as the estimated economic impact of the re-opening of the Armenia-Turkey border.
Tigran Sargsyan highlighted Armenian students’ participation in educational reform in Motherland and stressed the need for the furtherance of Armenia-Diaspora linkages.
Then, the Prime Minister visited the headquarters of Sequoia Capitals where he met with the leadership of the company.
Thereafter the head of government headed to the United States’ Venture Partnership organization where he joined branch representatives to discuss possibilities for developing venture capital in Armenia.
The businessmen in attendance said venture capital will be especially successful in Armenia though it will call for specific efforts. An arrangement was reached about the possibility of hosting training courses for concerned officials from the Armenian Ministry of Economy.
Tigran Sargsyan also went to California’s Berkley University where he met with Dean of the Informatics Chair Anna Lee Saxenyan and faculty professors. Then, the head of government addressed the participants of “Armenia’s Competitiveness Agenda” forum. Tigran Sargsyan spoke about today’s global developments and the application of the concept of the Armenian World. “The Armenian World has comparative assets as expressed by a global network of self-organization allowing it to play an important role in those more diversified, multicultural and multidisciplinary networks,” the Prime Minister said and added: “Our task is to remain open to new knowledge which is deemed to the key to the mentioned systems so that we can promote Armenia’s emergence as a post-industrial society.”
Tigran Sargsyan indicated that the launch of Luys Foundation was a way to give effect to the concept of the Armenian World. The head of government introduced the tasks and current activities of the National Competitiveness Council.
Then the Prime Minister touched upon his government’s anti-crisis efforts: “Our anti-crisis strategy has two key components. The first one covers our short-term and medium-term programs aimed at countering the downturn and boosting the economy through more targeted public spending. The crisis exposed Armenia’s economic weaknesses which we are addressing actively. But it also pointed to the possibility of tackling our unused potential. Thus, investing in the future and identifying new cooperation possibilities proved to be the second component of our anti-crisis program.”
In conclusion of his daily program, the head of government returned to San Jose where the Arm Tech – 2009 business forum is due to start on November 6.
