March 30, 2007

Conference on Rural Development in Armenia

Yerevan - More than 150 people participated in a conference on March 30, 2007, focused on rural development in Armenia. The conference was jointly convened by the United Nations Development Programme Armenia Country Office and the American University of Armenia Turpanjian Rural Development Program.

The conference discussed rural development with an emphasis on approaches that work and problems that must be overcome in order to establish successful projects and programs.

The conference opened with four keynote speakers: Ms. Consuelo Vidal, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Armenia, Dr. Haroutune Armenian, President of the American University of Armenia, Mr. Vartan Oskanian, RA Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Hrach Tspnetsyan, Head of the Agriculture and Village Social Development Department of the RA Ministry of Agriculture.

Eleven organizations presented papers on rural development, including the World Bank, USDA Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development, Armenian Social Investment Fund, Jinishian Memorial Foundation, Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Center of Armenia, Aregak microfinance organization, Oxfam Great Britain, Armenian Caritas, Children of Armenia Fund, Shen NGO, and Youth and Community Action Program of the U.S. Academy for Educational Development.

More than 60 Armenian organizations and international agencies directly engaged in rural development projects in Armenia participated in the conference sessions and discussions along with representatives of the Republic of Armenia Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Territorial Administration, and Education and Science.