PARIS, NOVEMBER 22, NOYAN TAPAN. An Armenian-French economic conference with the participation of the Armenian governmental delegation headed by the RA Minister of Trade and Economic Development Karen Chshmaritian was held at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris (CCIP) on November 21. The conference was initiated and organized by the CCIP joinly with the Armenian embassy. During the first half of the day, the welcoming speech by the French Minister of Transport and Tourism M. Dominique Perben was followed by K. Chshmaritian's speech on Armenia's economic policy, strategy and prospects. Then Vahram Baghdasarian, RA National Assembly deputy, Deputy Chairman of the NA Standing Committee of Financial, Credit, Budgetary and Economic Issues, Arsen Ghazarian, Chairman of the RA Union of Businessmen and Manufacturers, Vahagn Movsisian, Executive Director of the Armenian Development Agency, and Stepan Gishian, Chairman of the Association of Armenian Banks, Director General of ACBA Bank, made reports on Armenia's legislative field on foreign investments, the peculiarities and business environment of the Armenian market, the country's economic opportunities, as well as its banking system and the efficient Armenian-French cooperation in this direction. Representatives of Credit Agricole, Alcatel, Veolia, Pernod Ricard - Yerevan Brandy Company, and Damaris spoke about the successful activities of French enterprises in Armenia. Patrick Devedjian, deputy of the French National Assembly, and Serge Tchuruk, Chairman of Alcatel, presented their positive impressions about Armenia and the prospects of the French-Armenian cooperation. S. Tchuruk spoke in detail about Alcatel's operation in the telecommunication sector of Armenia. During the second half of the day, there were personal meetings between French businessmen and Armenian experts regarding specific issues and explanations related to the tax and legal fields, the Armenian market, the banking system, commodity transportation and tourism. Prior to the conference, a meeting of K. Chshmaritian and D. Perben took place. The sides expressed their saitisfaction over holding the economic conferences in Paris and Marseilles. It was mentioned that such conferences make it easier to learn about each other's opportunities and use the existing potential. During the meeting, issues of cooperation in the spheres of transport and tourism were discussed, and an agreement was reached to explore the opportunities of founding a tourism school in Armenia with the assistance of France. In this connection D. Perben promised to send a group of experts to Armenia soon. According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, the next day the Armenian delegation went to Marseilles where another economic conference with the participation of various companies and enterprises of this important region in the south of France will be held.

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