State trade office to open in Armenia

10/01/2005 12:00:00 AM
Daily News
By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff Writer

California's trade office in Armenia will open Monday, thanks to the $75,000 raised by local members of the Armenian community to create trade partnerships between the Golden State and the former Soviet republic.

The office will be in temporary quarters in Yerevan, Armenia's capital, in a government building there. An English-speaking Armenian was appointed to run the office, which will link importers and exporters between California and the landlocked nation east of Turkey and north of Iran.

Because the money was raised privately, the state was able to open the office in Armenia even though California's other foreign trade offices were closed recently because of state budget woes. That could be a model for the state if it opens other foreign trade offices, officials said.
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Officials expect that the office will facilitate in the export of information technology and health products going into Armenia and help Armenian businesses export foodstuffs and other products to California.

There is nearly $50 million in trade between Armenia and the United States, most of it with California, said Berdj Karapetian, chairman of the Glendale-based Foundation for Economic Development, which helped create the trade office.
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The office is overseen by the California Business, Transportation & Housing Agency.

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