Regional trade and industrial exhibition and forum Armenia EXPO 2013 opened in Yerevan

YEREVAN, September 13. /ARKA/. The 13th universal regional trade and industrial exhibition and forum Armenia EXPO 2013 opened Friday in Yerevan. 

This three-day event is organized by the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia and LOGOS EXPO Center. 

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan attended the event. He toured exhibition pavilions and saw exposed products.  

“This regional exhibition has already become a good tradition, and we consider it as a platform for finding new ways for economic growth in our country, since companies present their innovative ideas and offers here in a bid to attract new investments and establish new ties with foreign organizations,” the premier said at the opening ceremony. 

Remarkable is that for the first time Bridge International Economic Forum, known as Armenian Davos was organized as part of Armenia EXPO 2013. The forum was to be held in Armenia’s resort of Tsakhkadzor in February, but the event was canceled because interest in it subsided. 

The event attracted fewer than expected visitors also today, on the opening day. 

Contrary to expectations of the exhibition organizers, who have said that this year’s exhibition will attract more participants from more geographic areas, the number of participants and the number of countries from which they came remained unchanged – a little more than 100 companies, associations, unions and organizations from Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Iran, Germany and Poland, while, according to preliminary information, over 200 companies were expected to send their representatives to Armenia. No new countries appeared at the event. 

Nevertheless, experts see here grounds for good results. 

“Such exhibitions are always useful, since consumers see directly what exactly importers or manufacturers offer, and in addition, business ties are established here,” Karen Martirosyan, director of the Commerce and Industry Chamber of Armenia, told ARKA News Agency.  

He said that a delegation from Russia’s Tomsk province is taking part in the event and negotiating with local businessmen to import foods and jewelry from Armenia.   

Other participants of the event are interested in cooperation with local businessmen as well.  Marina Konova, head of marketing division of Russia’s Bryanskpivo (Bryansk Beer), told our correspondent that the company producing rye malt would like to make its product known in Armenia.   

“We have heard that there is demand for this product in Armenia and we hope we’ll talk to representatives of local bakeries,” she said adding that kvass (bread juice) makers have already expressed interest in the company’s products. 

Igor Frolov, spokesman of Belart company, an official representative of Belarus’ Mogilevliftmash that produces elevators, said that the company that has worked more than eight years at Armenia’s market is searching for new business partners.  

He voiced regret at the fact that the company’s efforts to expand local market have produced little effect for many years. 

Representatives of some companies told our correspondent that long years of participation in the exhibition have produced particular results – it helped them establish new contacts and boost their products. ---0---