YEREVAN, JUNE 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian President Robert Kocharian on June 27 received the delegation of the International Scientific and Technical Center (ISTC), headed by V. Aless, Chairman of the US Industrial Coalition, member of the ISTC Board of Directors. The President expressed satisfaction over the efficient cooperation that has formed over years between the ISTC and the RA National Academy of Sciences (NAS). He attached great importance to assistance that the ISTC has provided to the RA NAS. Noting that Armenia has always had a sizeable knowledge-based economy with developed scientific technical centers that used to operate for the huge state, Robert Kocharian said that these branches of science started to face difficulties after the collapse of the USSR. In his words, the problems have been somewhat dealt with thanks to the ISTC's assistance. According to the RA President's press service, the sides discussed reforms in the sphere of science during the transitional period. The President underlined that the state should take serious steps aimed at working out a policy for management f the sphere. "Our goal is to have a knowledge-based economy and become a center of intellectual services," Robert Kocharian said.

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