Businessmen blame the ambassadors

20/03/2007

The accredited embassies and international organizations of Armenia may make a serious contribution to the activation of bilateral trade/economic relations with Armenia. As deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Arman Kirakosyan said during a meeting with manufacturers and businessmen on Wednesday, this meeting would benefit the development of bilateral economic relations. At the present, Armenia’s foreign trade/economic relations are on the right path, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not too pleased with the ratings of relations with some countries. President of the Union of Industrialists and Businessmen Arsen Ghazaryan says that there are cases when Armenian businessmen are not able to participate in international conferences or expositions because they do not receive the visas from the accredited embassies in Armenia.

“The business class of Armenia is formed and has proved its competitiveness in Armenia and in the international market. More than 500 members of the union pay more than 75-80% of taxes; in other words, they are the major taxpayers of Armenia and it is insulting when the given country does not grant these businessmen visas,” mentioned A. Ghazaryan.

According to President of the Armenian Goldsmiths International Association Gagik Abrahamyan, serious issues come up when getting permission to go to Germany, yet it is incomparably easier for businessmen to get visas to travel to the Belgian Kingdom, the U.S. and France.