ArmInfo.US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills is satisfied with the dynamics of deepening of the Armenian-American cooperation in the trade and economic sector.
The Ambassador noted that during his diplomatic mission, the embassy assisted business representatives to ensure interaction in areas such as renewable energy, agriculture, tourism and others.
"Over the past 3.5 years, we have witnessed hundreds of millions of dollars of investments attracted. There is a great interest in the economic future of Armenia, I do not want to point at all the investments, but I would like to bring one example. So, for example, Contour Global invested $ 250 million to modernize the Vorotan cascade of hydropower plants. This is an important investment that helped make a serious contribution to the energy sector of Armenia and contributed to its energy security, "said Mills on October 9, speaking to members of the Armenian-American Chamber of Commerce. He added that American businessmen are exploring investment opportunities in various fields - from the hotel business to the development of IT.
At the same time, he stressed that over the past 6 months, there have been obvious changes in Armenia, and it is paving its own democratic path, and the United States as a partner in sustainable development will always be close to Armenia. "And now, when the country has embarked on this path, hard and painstaking work is expected," he said, adding that a successful transition will certainly ensure a consistent fight against corruption, the formation of a multiparty parliament, through fair and transparent elections, and the opening of jobs , the formation of an open and innovative economy.
"In recent years, serious attention was paid to the field of information technology. The United States played a priority role in advancing Armenia in this direction. The United States Agency for International Development invested $ 8.7 million and helped raise about $ 11 million in other areas. And if Armenia wants to create an economy that will open opportunities for everyone to open the necessary jobs, then the development of this sector will be only part of the solution to the problem. Of course, we appreciate Armenia's achievements in the field of IT, but it is necessary to form a diversified economy, which will take into account the current reality and will provide jobs for all ", - the diplomat said, adding that the IT field can not meet the demand of all the labor market and there is need to stimulate other directions, such as tourism, clean energy, agriculture.
He expressed concern about the voiced statements that the government's funds should be directed to the development of the IT field, which, according to him, would harm the development of other areas.
Answering the question of AmCham participants about the economic opportunities of the Republic of Armenia, Mills stressed that Armenia has all the possibilities for ensuring economic growth, "I am sure that in the near future we will see investments from the East, including from Russia and China, as well as the development of the tourism sector in Armenia and the intensification of the Armenian Diaspora," - said Mills, adding that in recent years, representatives of the Armenian Diaspora in the United States were unhappy with the actions of the Armenian authorities, and now they are interested in the development of the country and are interested in what they can do for Armenia.
"I think that Armenia should make maximum use of this resource. I am optimistic about the development of Armenia, but the situation around Iran will also play an important role. If Iran accepts the proposed positive changes, then they can become a gateway for Armenia to new markets, otherwise tension in the region can increase. Armenia, taking into account its good relations with Iran, can talk with it and explain the situation, make sure that events develop in a positive direction not only for the country, but also for region as a whole ", - concluded the Ambassador.