A New Co-operation between Armenian and Turkish Young Businessmen launched in Van

The Armenian-Turkish business forum affairs organized by the initiative of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia continued on 16-17 of August in the city of Van. Within the framework of the forum the young Armenian representatives of business sector proceeded active intercourse with their Turkish counterparts. Business to business meeting-negotiations took place, during which the Armenian businessmen/entrepreneurs made site visits to business facilities, companies and factories, located in Van, in order to get acquainted with the local production and business opportunities. The Armenian side attended Van-based dairy and confectionery manufacturing enterprises, as well as visited the granite, marble, asphalt, concrete factories, trying to understand the possibilities of local young producers.

“Through such business visits the local market of Van will be studied more closely, as well as the unified efforts will be implemented while seeking ways for creating conditions of trade circulation between Armenian and Turkish markets, which will afterwards make a fertile ground for the development of trade and economic relations between two nations”,- mentioned Armen Melkonyan, the Project Coordinator of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia, adding that such kind of visits are extremely significant in terms of shaping a public opinion, as well as developing partnership relations, that’s why it’s important to be consistent and to advance in persistent steps.

During the individual business meeting-negotiations a certain part of the businessmen of two neighbouring countries came to a preliminary agreement upon the bilateral co-operation.

At the end of the day, as it was provided, a memorandum of understanding was signed by the “Union of Young Employers of Yerevan and Adjacent Regions” (chairman – Mushegh Avetisyan) and the “Van Young Businessmen Union” (chairman – Eren Gökçenay). This document is to set up a new platform for cooperation between young businessmen of both sides.

It is to be recalled that the three-day business forum was held within the framework of “Young Businessmen to Promote Cross-border Economic Cooperation” project, whose main concern is to assist to the development of the economic relations between Armenia and Turkey, as well as to initiate and promote the cooperation between young businessmen of two nations.

It should be noted that on August 15, the day that the plenary session kicked off, the young businessmen of Armenia and Turkey held a vast series of interesting round table discussions dedicated to the possibilities and premises of establishing bilateral trade and economic relationships, as well as the barriers and obstacles concerning to the latter. During the forum the Armenian delegation noted that it took them around 900 km – about 16 hours to reach Van, meanwhile in case the Van-Yerevan-Van flight was implemented, it would be possible to cut the required time significantly, reducing it to merely 40 minutes.