Armen Sarkissian: We can become an important part of the new world and the new Silk Road

President Armen Sarkissian participated today at the opening of the Business Forum of Francophonie. The Forum is taking place at the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies under the auspices of the President of Armenia.

In his opening remarks Armen Sarkissian said:

“Madam Michaëlle Jean, Secretary-General de la Organisation internationale de la Francophonie

Excellences,

Cher Colleagues,

Mesdames et Messieurs,

Dear Friends,

It is my great pleasure to open this international conference in the new Armenia, with a new face and a new future. And indeed this event has tremendous, tremendous importance. And I will explain why: First of all, before saying the words of opening ceremony and sharing with you some of my ideas, I would like to say my warm heartfelt thanks to Madame Secretary General and her office and the whole organization for not only having the idea and sharing this vision with us, for having this Business Forum of Francophone countries here, in Armenia but also for doing the utmost, for working hard to make this event happen. It is my great pleasure as well, in fact, I would like all of us to thank Madame Secretary General and her office for this wonderful work. I will take this opportunity to thank also my colleagues here, in Armenia who have done tremendous work. That was led definitely by mademoiselle Adamian and her team and of course, I would like to thank my colleagues Mr. Shahen Avakian and Mr. David Papazian and their friends and colleagues.

So, this is happening, and why it is important. Why the Business Forum of Francophone countries is important. First of all, the whole event of having the Heads and leaders of Francophone countries coming to Armenia – a country that is a part of Francophonie, today is a historic event for us. Secondly, the Business Forum is one thing that will stay with us, and I hope I am going to open the first Francophone Business Forum in Yerevan but not the last one. So, I hope to have future Francophone conferences and business forums here, in Yerevan and bigger and bigger. Why is it important? First of all, let’s be practical here. Francophone countries, led by France, are not only about language and culture. It’s much more wider.

Francophonie represented here is a huge business of hundreds of billions of dollars, huge economies of hundreds of billions of dollars, of Euros, sorry, bigger than dollars, that are connecting Europe with Africa. I think that’s the only and the most important access from the North to the South, helping the South to gain and to come to a bigger world and helping the North to explore new territories, new ideas, new younger generations, new younger states of Africa. On the other side, Armenia represents a specific place in other part. We, as a state, we are a part of both the East and the West. We were always at the crossroads of the East and the West – this nation living here, for thousands of years. I was sharing yesterday with some of you, colleagues, that this is a country of thousands and thousands years of history, and the city you are in, is 2800 years old. And this is not a virtual calculation: We have the old castle with facts on in, with spreadsheet of the council of the kings, everything – 2800 years of civilization of this city. But that’s not only about the history. I was yesterday referring also to the wonderful event in the New York Metropolitan Museum – that exhibition, which is called "Armenia!" and has been opened just recently. And that exhibition was telling the story not by Armenians but by Americans from Metropolitan Museum about the Silk Road.

Whenever you’re in New York in the next two or three months, I would suggest you go visit there. Stories about Armenians and Armenia. In the Middle Ages when the Armenian traders where a big part and somehow they were sort of a controlling part of the Silk Road – from Manila to Calcutta to Samarkand and Bukhara, to Toulouse and Manchester. So this nation was only a historic nation, this nation is not a nation of culture; this nation is also a trading nation that was on the Silk Road for ages. So, the idea is here how do we connect the Silk Road to access the West, Europe and Africa? And that’s my dream: the dream to have Armenia not only a part of Francophone wonderful community and family but also be the one that will help the Francophone countries, those from Europe, Canada, and Africa to do their trade and business in the vast territories of Eurasia. Let’s not forget that Armenia is the only country in the whole region that is a member of the Eurasian economic family, that is benefiting from the absence of taxes and custom duties with Russia and some of the Central Asian republics, Belarus and others. On the other side, Armenia has signed a very deep agreement with the European Union. So, we are really an east- west country and we are really the ones who wants to repeat its success of Middle Ages. Now, 21st century.

Francophone countries, led by France, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium and a big group of very healthy, young African countries. Where’s their strength? Of course, when we speak about businesses the names that come to our mind are big names, starting from Dassau to Talles to Credit Swiss, to Nestle, to Bombardier, to Becard and all these are fantastic companies and they do worldwide business. To be honest, when I am thinking about Africa even daily, when I want to know the news about Africa, I don’t go to BBC, I don’t go to Russia Today, I don’t go to Al Jazeera, I go to Russia 24. That’s that channel that presents to you the real story that comes from Africa. On the other side, this huge industrial base that France and Francophone countries have can be matched with the young Armenia. And I come here to greet you as the new president of a new country that has a new young prime minister and a very young new government. Everything is young here, everything is focusing to the 21st century. As you all know, Armenia had a revolution, in April. Some called it the Velvet Revolution, some called it a New Armenia, I would call it Young Armenia. That was a tremendous achievement by our country and the people of Armenia. And not only Armenians living here, in this country but another fifteen million living abroad. Tremendous achievement that without any conflict or without any civil war or any damage that change has happened. The change continues.

As I told recently to some of our journalists, it’s not a sprint, it’s not a hundred meters to run, it’s a marathon. We have to design our future for coming years and years ahead. But we have to start running with the speed of a marathon, the speed of a sprint initially but having a marathon to be run. But there was and there is another revolution in Armenia which unfortunately was not noticed by the world community.

The Armenian revolution of April was on every television, on every channel, everybody knows about that. And wherever I go today, I hear about that. But there is another revolution that has happened in this country, and it’s happening today and is not fully realized and noticed, and you are in the middle of that revolution which is called Tumo.

The Tumo is one of the signs of the new revolution in Armenia. The revolution Armenia is focused on, not only young who have spirit, not only young who have a young government, not only young who will emotionally look into the 21st century, it’s not the young that we are, generation of the 21st century but we are actually doing it here, in Armenia. If I want to match the great names of French, Canadians, Swiss, Belgian, African companies, I can match them, because we have the vision of building here, in Armenia the future, the industry of the 21st century. The new high-tech, the new virtual world, and Tumo, an extraordinary event or organization that is a new way of educating children, younger generation to be a part of not only science society but also a part of the business, revolutionary way of doing it. It is, in fact, will be exported from Armenia to France, to Moscow, to Doha, to Kazakhstan – this is our sort of a notice to the world that we are not only young by age, not only young that are dreaming to be in the 21st century – we are indeed in the 21st century. And that’s my dream. The Armenian revolution of the 21st century to match with the huge power of Francophone industry and to create a match where North and West will sort of marry the East-West.

And I hope that Armenians, again and again will show to the world that not only in the Middle Ages but we are controlling the Silk Road – the Silk Road that we can be sort of a big part. I am not intending to control it, but I would love to be a big part of this new world and the new Silk Road, which in many ways is not only a road or railroad but also a virtual road.

So, welcome to Armenia, welcome to the 21st century in the city that is 2800 years old. And I would love to be in a position to open the second Francophone Business Forum, here in Yerevan, together with all of you. Thank you very much. You can be all very sure that in atmosphere of friendship, friendliness, and stability that you feel here will continue in the future. The Armenian revolution in April has shown that it was not only without any blood but that it was a revolution of love and friendship. It will change the country smoothly.

Armenia has very strong units of industry: One of them is, for example, the IT sector. And Armenia is not only Tumo. There are dozens of Tumos, different startups in Armenia that have wonderful power. They already work with big international companies and amazingly a lot of them work with Silicon Valley. I would love to see Francophone companies in IT, high-tech working here. Another sector, the banking sector – the revolution happened but everything was absolutely stable.

Armenia is a country that has one of the most advanced banking sectors in the region. Armenia is the only country probably from the CIS that has international banks here. They were here from the first day, they stayed here now, they some pulled from other countries of CIS but HSBC, Credit Agricole, Gazprombank, Lebanese banks, Persian banks – they are all here. So there is a stable financial banking sector, the country is changing itself, so this country can also be a getaway for you. You can come and register your company here, in a country that is becoming more and more open, predictable, stable and also legally open. A country where law and order will work more and more and more. You can have your company registered here and do your business in Kazakhstan, Belarus, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan or indeed in the region. So this could be a hub for you. So, let me again share with you the vision that this country can be the one that can help the companies of Africa get connected to Eurasia and help the Eurasian businesses in working together with Africa. There is a huge future for Africa. I mean everybody looks at Africa. If you see the business interest in Africa – that’s the biggest future for the planet. In the same way, Eurasia has a future with vast territories and national resources and manpower. So being in the center of that huge opportunities, it’s a great privilege. So, one more time, thank you very much, welcome to Armenia. And I hope that this business forum will contribute to this friendship, business development, and the future of the whole Francophone world. Thank you very much".