It is pleasing that yet another, the Carrefour hypermarket chain, will soon be added to the large French companies in Armenia.

Armenian National Assembly (NA) Speaker Galust Sahakyan stated the aforesaid speaking at the opening of the France-Armenia business forum in Paris.

“A mutually beneficial comprehensive cooperation has developed between Armenia and France. We are happy by the around 180 companies that are established in Armenia and which represent the French business community; this certainly assumes important investments.

“Favorable conditions are secured in Armenia for foreign investments.

“[But] we need to broaden and strengthen our economic ties,” the Armenian NA leader specifically noted.

Sahakyan also spoke about Armenia’s forthcoming accession to the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

“Considering our national, economic and geopolitical interests, Armenia has decided to join the Eurasian Economic Union.

“[But] the accession decision does not at all mean that the role of the European Union as a most important economic region will diminish for Armenia in any way.

“At the same time, Armenia’s integration into the Eurasian Economic Union creates outstanding opportunities for the European investors, too.

“Armenia’s economy is the closest to the European one from among the CIS countries, by the level of its economic freedom and the application of market rules.

“The lifting of the [Armenian] visa regime for the European Union [EU] citizens and the facilitation of the EU visa issuance for the citizens of Armenia create additional conditions for the invigoration of business contacts and the development of tourism,” Galust Sahakyan noted in Particular.