“The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of independent Armenia was founded in 2002 though such an agency had been operating in the republic since 1950s,” CCI Executive Director Araik Vardanyan told reporters.

He said that small or medium-sized enterprises constitute over 70% of Armenian enterprises, and the CCI is mainly supporting them. The CCI is also organizing business forums and exhibitions enables enterprises from different countries to establish contacts and study the business environment in the host country," Vardanyan said. Specifically, over 50 Armenian enterprises were able to display their products at the Pan-Armenian Expo exhibition.

“The CCI is seeking to make Pan-Armenian Expo an annual project and support Armenian enterprises abroad. We have representatives in Americas and Europe, who inform us of the business environment in particular countries,” he said.

Vardanyan reported that the CCI is a non-profit organization, and enterprises are not forced to join it.

The CCI Executive Director also reported that Armenia is a member of the CCI Associations of Europe, Black Sea region, and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). He underlined the Armenian CCI’s intention to develop cooperation with the Tuyab Company (Turkey), which specializes in arranging exhibitions.

“Representatives of the CCI of Van province, Turkey, visited our Chamber before the New Year. They proposed developing cooperation, especially cooperation in the tourist industry. This April we are going to Turkey to sign a relevant contract,” Vardanyan said.

T.P.