When asked why representatives from Russia and Iran were present at the VI International Economic Forum “Bridge 2009” that kicked off in Tzaghkadzor on February 20 Arsen Ghazaryan, Executive Director of the “Apaven Company” and President of Armenia’s Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen, replied that, “This is based on the imperatives of regional cooperation and alluded to the thesis advanced by Armenia’s prime minister that the time had come for regional cooperation. “The global international economy has experienced this paralyzing stroke. We must work with those countries, those markets, with which we have been traditionally linked and which we can compliment. We must work in those markets and it isn’t accidental that they are neighboring countries – Russia, Iran, Bulgaria and Greece. They are countries where the transportation costs aren’t great and where trust and cooperation towards one another is more quickly arrived at. We must also take into account those countries where there is a strong Armenian community for one of the paths leading to our salvation is our ethnically derived capital,” stated Arsen Ghazaryan. In the opinion of Mr. Ghazaryan, we must not despair when it comes to transforming foreign potential into a flexible resource. “We can turn the foreign market potential into something more concrete if we raise the quality level of our competitive products, if we don’t despair and take bolder steps to enter the fray of the foreign market.” In Mr. Ghazaryan’s view, mineral water, preserves, cognac and wines have foreign market potential, adding that, “I am confident that in a few months the mining sector will bounce back as well.” The RoA Minister of the Economy, Nerses Yeritsyan, reflecting on the speech of the Prime Minster Tigran Sargsyan at the forum, stated that today it wasn’t possible to totally salvage the construction sector. “But there are projects designed to resolve the issue because the demand for apartments is strong in our society and this facilitates the government’s job when it comes to planning for financing. According to Minister Yeritsyan, the forum also allows for the expression of collected knowledge. Generally, concepts are revealed from which we benefit, but we don’t have the time to discuss and debate issues since all of us are busy with other work. This forum is a type of continuation of Davos and I believe that years from now it will measure up in terms of content.” When asked by “Hetq” when the purchase of new technologies is being planned for, given that the prime minister noted in his speech that there had been a drop in technology prices which offered Armenia the possibility to modernize certain sectors, Minister Yeritsyan replied, “That’s really a bizarre question. We’re no longer living in the Soviet Union when concrete deadlines were expected for everything.” Doctor of Economics Sergei Kalendjian, Dean of the Graduate School of Corporate Management at the Russian Academy of National Economy, stated that he had come to Armenia to see how the country was coping in these troubled times. “In Tzaghkadzor, for example, many new and impressive hotels had been built but the prices are exorbitant. You won’t have visitors staying here at these prices. You are building just for yourselves. Only super Armenian patriots will be able to come and stay in these hotels.” The economist believes that even though Prime Minister also talked about plans to turn Tatev into a tourist center, there are really no long-term prospects to develop the tourist industry. “There are no long-term prospects in other sectors as well and I don’t see any prospects given current exchange rates. You may not take into account what I have said regarding the unlikelihood of people coming her or of selling your products because I have been open and honest with my statements.” Sergei Kalendjian states that Armenia utilizes only 5-10% of the diaspora’s resources in the business sector. “At international business forums the existence of an Armenian business sector isn’t even discussed. First and foremost, Armenia must derive benefit from the fact that prices of energy resources have fallen. I see no other possibilities since exports must produce benefits for you. For example, today you must try to sell your beer in Russia, or your water.