President Serzh Sargsyan’s working visit to Kotayk marz

President Serzh Sargsyan conducted today a working visit to Kotayk marz. The President of Armenia visited a number of enterprises and later in Charentsavan was present at the events conducted in the framework of the Charents Week.

The working visit of the President started at the Shahnazrian Wine and Cognac House Company. President Sargsyan toured the premise of the plant founded by the Company, familiarized with the investments and production capacities which expanded as a result of these investments, Company’s development programs, and conversed with the employees. The President was informed that for the production development of the Shahnazrian Wine and Cognac House, the Company has purchased Italian production line which can manufacture 3 thousand bottles per hour, installed modern refrigerating facilities, and has carried out other works aimed at the modernization of the production. The program of investments, according to the responsible officials, comes close to 19 million Euros. Currently, the enterprise is producing 3,5,7, and 15 years old cognac whose substantial part is being imported to Russia, Ukraine, European countries, and recently also to Kazakhstan. The Company employs 80 people with the average monthly salary of AMD 180.000. With regard to the development programs of the Shahnazrian Wine and Cognac House, it was noted that the Company is planning to construct a warehouse with the capacity to receive and process 8-10 thousand tons of grapes and corresponding distillation units, as well as to increase the capacities of the services for alcohol maturing bringing them up to 5 million liters. In order to boost the wine production, the Company will build a unit with the necessary facilities for 1500 tons of grapes and will install the wine bottle filling production line. All this machinery will be imported from Italy. According to the representatives of the Company, as a result of these development programs, which will require nearly 12 million USD investments, there will be created nearly 30 new jobs.

In Akunq community of Kotayk marz, the President visited the Armenian-Dutch joint Biga enterprise which is growing strawberry, raspberry and blackberry, and familiarized with the conducted works. It was noted that in 2013 the Company rented in Akunq 10 hectares of land and started to cultivate the mentioned above berries with the implementation of modern technologies. The berries are growing successfully on the Armenian soil and bring high-quality harvest. In order to receive ecologically clean produce, the Company is using mainly natural fertilizers imported from Europe. It fights vermin with exclusively biological agents which are more expensive than chemical ones.

In 2013 imported and packed were 16,000 seedlings of raspberry, 4,000 seedlings of blackberry and 350,000 shoots of strawberry, part of which is being grown in the boxes elevated to a certain height. Currently, works are underway to establish high-yield sweet cherry orchard. Produce of the orchard will also be exported. In addition, the Company will establish its own production of shoots and seedlings. As an experiment, the enterprise will construct a greenhouse with cooling systems which will allow to use the area also in summer time. Investments for the realization of this program come close to 3.5 million USD. The enterprise employs 73 workers with the average monthly wages of AMD 100-125,000. The workers are mostly residents of Akunq and neighboring villages.

In Charentsavan, President Serzh Sargsyan was present at the ceremony of opening the Aske Group plant for the manufacturing of reinforcement rods. The President familiarized with the capacities of the modernized production unit and investments. It was noted that in the framework of the investment program, according to the RA Government decision adopted in 2011, the value-added tax for this enterprise has been deferred for three years. As a result, the Company modernized its unit of steel fusion and established a new unit for the production of reinforcement rods. According to the representatives of the Company, as of December 31, 2011 the plant was employing 76 workers, with the average monthly salary of AMD 71.000. As a result of reshaping of the former plant for steel fusion, the Aske Group Company has increased the number of workers, bringing it up to 330. Today, the average monthly salary at the enterprise is AMD 180.000. After the steel fusion unit startup, the plant will have 150 new jobs.

At the conclusion of President Sargsyan’s tour of the plant, in the presence of the President signed were two memorandums of understanding related to the Aske Group’s assistance to the Affordable Housing for Young Specialists social program between the Chairman of Yerevan State University Graduates Union NGO A. Karamian, Director of the contractor ADA Ltd company Vahram Melkumian and the Aske Group; the second one was signed by the Aske Group, the Rector of the Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction Hovhannes Tokmajian, and the Head of the contractor Horizon-95 Ltd Company Gagik Galstian. The memorandums guarantee that through the resources of the YSU Graduates Union and in the framework of the Affordable Housing for Young Specialists social program, the construction works for the apartment building realized through the assistance of the Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction, all construction works for the apartment building for the YSU specialists and scientific workers, reinforcement of the branches of the University, construction of a high school, construction of the laboratory for hydraulic research at the Center for Water Issues and Hydro-Technical Research will be carried out with the use of the Aske Group’s A500S class 10-32mm diameter reinforcement rods. In its turn, the Aske Group Company will sell the rods to the mentioned construction companies at a 10 percent discount.

At the conclusion of his visit to Kotayk marz, Serzh Sargsyan at the central square of Charentsavan participated at the first Expo town exhibition, organized in the framework of the Charents Week. Later, he also took part at the ceremony of opening the Eghishe Charents monument and at the square observed chalk paintings made by children.