YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The purpose of the round table held within the framework of the second Armenia-Diaspora economic forum in Yerevan on September 20 was to present the state policy and assistance programs implemented in small and medium business, the opportunities for starting and doing business in Armenia, and the sector's current trends towards sustainable development. The discussion was organized on the initiative of the "National Center for Developement of Armenian Small and Medium Business" Fund. RA Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Developemnt Armen Gevorgian said that over the 15 years of its independence, Armenia has conducted an economic policy of liberalization, with development of small and medium enterprises making important part of this policy. In the deputy minister's words, this will make it possible to deal with such an important problem as job creation in remote settlements of the country. According to Head of the OSCE Armenia Office Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, the OSCE attaches great importance to the development of small and medium business. He noted that this is not a purely economic task: in OSCE's opinion, it promotes the democratization process. The presentation of the guide on best expertise in favorable business and invsetment environment (published by OSCE and translated into Armenian) and the 2005-2006 reference book on small and medium business in Armenia took place during the round table. Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities Bernard Snoy said that an improvement in Armenia's business environment has been observed, and the translation of the guide into Armenian will be conducive to its further improvement, as this is the best guide on business and investment environment. B. Snoy pounted out that one of the guide's peculiarities is that it gives information for all OSCE countries, including transitional ones.

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