OSCE Office agrees to support Armenia's efforts to foster competitive business environment

YEREVAN, 2 June 2010 - The OSCE Office in Yerevan and the State Commission on Protection of Economic Competition today agreed to promote a more competitive business environment in Armenia.

The co-operation agreement includes work to strengthen legal frameworks and practice, and to support sustainable socio-economic development.

Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, said a level playing field for Armenian businesses was crucial to create a better business environment in the country.

"Strengthening anti-monopoly legislation and capacities of the Commission and focus on fostering efficient and comprehensive SME development can lay a sound foundation for overcoming present obstacles in economic growth."

Under the agreement, the OSCE Office will support competition strategies in line with international practices. It will also help develop and introduce a comprehensive system of indicators to foster efficient competition policies, and it will support an Armenian partnership with the International Competition Network.

Artak Shaboyan, Chairman of the State Commission, added: "Armenia's competition legislation is undergoing reformation and in particular oversight capacities of the Commission are envisaged to be enhanced."