“To tell the truth, if I had a lot of money, I would make investments in Armenia and nowhere else,” RA President Robert Kocharyan said while addressing the Armenian-Belgian business forum in Brussels. He assured that Armenia has a favorable legislative sphere for starting a business. In answer to Belgian businessmen’s question why Armenia is profitable for launching business, Robert Kocharyan said, “Can I suffice your curiosity by saying no one will regret if he starts a business in Armenia?” The RA president enumerated all the advantages of the so-called “Caucasian tiger” – “new job opportunities, favorable legislative sphere, stability, budget and economic growth without natural resources-oil, gas (A1+ journalist reports).” “Armenians have always had business mentality. Even during Soviet times Armenians were able to find their own ways to do business,” he said. According to Robert Kocharyan over the past ten years of his office, none of the investors has suffered a loss in Armenia and even if they had to sell their businesses they did and attained great profits. “How much tax do you pay to the Belgian government? If you compare you will see the difference and the profitability level in Armenia.” Nerses Eritsyan, the newly appointed Minister of Trade and Economic Development, presented “the dynamic state” of the Armenian economy during the Forum organized in the framework of “Cercle de Lorraine”. Arsen Ghazaryan, the Chairman of the Manufacturers and Businessmen Union, called on foreign businessmen to make investments in Armenia as the country is a prefect bridge between Eastern and Western countries. “I started from nothing while today my company is one of the best in the world.” Did the Armenian statesmen succeed in convincing the Belgian businessmen? According to the A1+ some of the Diaspora businessmen said that they’d like to start a business in Armenia but they meanwhile have rumors and information about the problems that exist for businessmen in Armenia. Roger Van Baal, the Director of trading company Integra had no notion of Armenia before to the forum. “Our company has branches in many countries of the world including the former Soviet Union. I phoned our CIS representative to inquire about the Republic of Armenia. In answer to my question why the company hasn’t got a branch in Armenia, he said. “There are no business opportunities in Armenia.” I couldn’t find any information on Armenian chemical sphere either. The figures on economic growth are really promising. We shall conduct our survey. I voice hope that it won’t be a waste of time and finances.”
