President attends opening of world food exhibition and plenary session of conference in India

President Serzh Sargsyan, who is paying a working visit to India on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attended the plenary session of the “World Food: India -2017” conference in New Delhi, and the ceremonious opening of an international food industry exhibition of the same name with about 2000 participants from over 20 countries.

The President of the Republic of Armenia made a speech at the conference.

Remarks delivered by President Serzh Sargsyan at World Food: India -2017 Conference

Your Excellency Mr Prime Minister,
Distinguished Ministers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

To begin with, I would like to warmly congratulate people of India and the distinguished Prime Minister Modi for organizing this impressive forum, as well as to thank for the invitation extended to me to participate in this event. I wish every success to all the participants of the exhibition.

The specialization and geographic diversity of the fair comes to demonstrate the mighty potential and role India plays in the global food market that resumed from the effective work carried out in the course of the 70 years of independence. I avail myself of this opportunity and congratulate friendly people of India upon that historical jubilee.

It is worth to note that India, a nation of history of several millenaries, in such a brief period of time managed to record impressive achievements in the nation’s political and social-economic development, thus becoming one of the major motive forces behind the world economy.

We in Armenia, as a friend of India, are glad to state that due to its reforms and consistent work, India is now self-sufficient in terms of food. Moreover, it became one of the recognized leaders of food production on the global market and major producer and exporter of a number of agricultural goods on the global scale.

It is further testified by this fair which, needless to say, is the best platform for sharing the best practices available in India, as well as identifying new markets and establishing new partnerships.

Processing agricultural goods and exporting food items is also important for Armenia’s economic development.

Armenian producers have been combining traditional methodologies and modern technologies to reprocess fruits and vegetables, and have thus accumulated some positive experience that led to ever increased demand for Armenian food products on the external markets. Our entrepreneurs are now initiating their first steps in order to present their products also on the Indian market.

We believe that the transfer to Indian entrepreneurs of the best Armenian know-how in the area of food production and cooperation to that effect may be promising. It may increase the effectiveness of the fruit and vegetables processing industry, as well as help create new enterprises and employment opportunities.

We can also give new impetus to Armenian-Indian cooperation in the multilateral format since Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, and enjoys regime of generalized scheme of preferences in the trade with the European Union. Those entrepreneurs who would launch business activities in Armenia should have every opportunity to take advantage of the auspicious conditions provided by Armenia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are living in times when numerous issues need joint and comprehensive solutions. One of such issues is food security. At the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Summit Armenia adopted Declaration and agenda for Sustainable Development. Food security is one among its 17 goals, as is giving impetus to sustainable agricultural development.

Armenia consistently works in order to achieve those objectives. Due to both our domestic policy and flexible external trade policy we register new achievements every year in the course of fulfilling those goals.

In conclusion let me once again wish every success to the cabinet of Prime Minister Modi in the course of realization of very promising reforms and projects they initiated, and the participants of this Forum-very fruitful work.

Thank you for your attention.