PreferredArmenia has a unique geographical position and should start using it for its own interests, developing trade and other important sectors, Raphael Gevorgyan, deputy minister of economy of Armenia, said at a discussion during Orion Summit 2023 held in New York. (photosession)
Speaking during a discussion dedicated to Digital Julfa Network and held at Harvard Club, the deputy minister said that in his childhood he often looked at the world map and wondered how it could have happened that Armenia is located in such a place, between two hostile neighbors. Another neighbor is Iran, with which Armenia also has a border, but it turns out that it is partially closed due to sanctions. Armenia's only "exit" to the outside world is Georgia, but there are other problems there as well. In addition, Armenia does not have sea infrastructures and ports.
"I always thought that we were not lucky to be born in a country with such a geography. However, time has passed and now I think that our geographical position is really unique, but we are not using its potential. For many years, we have not invested enough in important infrastructures to use the potential of our location," said Gevorgyan.
According to him, work is being carried out in the country, which will help to use this potential. More than 10 years ago, the work on the "North-South" project began, and it is expected that by the end of 2026 there will already be significant achievements in this area. The ministry is also working on another important project, the so-called land (intermodal) port.
"All similar projects are aimed at starting to use the potential of our trade routes. We are now thinking a lot about the trade route from India to Europe. Our aim is to modernize domestic multimodal trade routes between Mumbai and European ports. And when we achieve that, our location will no longer be a problem, and it will greatly benefit everyone in Armenia," the Deputy Minister noted.
In the distant past, Armenians, who for centuries did not have great opportunities for communication, were able to create a large network in the fields of economics, law, trade and innovation. This network has existed for 300 years. Now, Armenian specialists have set themselves the task of recreating such a network, but, of course, using innovative solutions. We are talking, of course, about the Julfa Digital Network, which was officially presented at last year's summit, it was also the topic of the last panel session at Orion Summit 2023 held in New York on June 19-23 (NEWS.am Tech is the information partner of the summit)․
During four days full of events, more than 100 participants of the summit discussed a number of issues, how to make Armenia attractive for global investments, how to contribute to the development of the country and its economy, and what role modern technologies can play in all this.
During the summit, Diana Arzumanyan, executive director and co-founder of Orion Worldwide Innovations Armenia, presented a new product – Orion Score. It is a comprehensive system that is useful for both investors and startups. Orion Score can be used to measure startup growth based on reliable data without the need for guesswork. This system will help startups grow at a fast pace by attracting investments and access to global networks and capital, and investors will be able to make quick and informed decisions about their investments.
