On October 5-6, 2012, a conference of the Armenian and Turkish business communities will take place in Yerevan. The event is organized by the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia as part of the “Support to Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement” project, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and implemented by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation, the Yerevan Press Club,International Center for Human Development, and the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia. The conference will start at 9:30 a.m. on October 5, 2012 and is co-sponsored by the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation of the German Marshal Fund.
The Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia will invite more than 50 entrepreneurs from the Eastern parts of Turkey, representing different business fields, including light industry, construction, the restaurant business, public health, oil production, jewelry, and trade. Representatives of the Armenian business community will also be invited to the conference to discuss opportunities for business cooperation with their Turkish counterparts. Guest speakers will present the current state of affairs, the prospects for Armenia-Turkey business cooperation, and success stories about bilateral business cooperation. The conference will also feature a presentation of a fact book titled, “Armenian Trade and Commercial Activity in the Territory of Present-day Turkey: 15th century – 1915,” authored by historian and writer Khachatur Dadayan.
USAID and its partnering organizations support Armenia-Turkey rapprochement by facilitating engagement between civil society groups, establishment and development of business partnerships and regional professional networks, and enhanced understanding between the people, for peace and economic integration in the region.
