YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Henceforth small and medium entrepreneurs of Armenia will have the opportunity to establish contacts and find partners in the European market - thanks to Armenia's joining the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). The official ceremony of Armenia's joining EEN took place at the office of the European Commission Delegation in Armenia on June 20. The RA minister of economy Nerses Yeritsian said that links with the developed European market and professional advice of European experts will open development opportunities not only for small and medium entrepreneurs, but also for big ones. Businessmen from Yerevan and marzes may use services of the network, which is of special importance to those who have just started their business. In the words of the head of the European Commission Delegation in Armenia Raul de Luzenberger, Armenia's joining the EEN is yet another important step taken within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy and it will make the European market more accessible to Armenian businessmen. The director of the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Center Armenia (SME DNC) Iskhan Karapetian said the network will assist enterprises with business cooperation, market research and finding potential partners, negotiating and signing agreements on cooperation, as well as with evaluation of their capacities and preparedness to operate in international market. According to him, 14 working groups in various sectors of economy have already been created. It was announced that 5 proposals to make use of the network's services have been received, another 25 proposals are being developed. The Enterprise Europe Network currently operates in 27 EU member states, countries-candidates for EU membership - Turkey and Macedonia, countries of the European economic zone Norway and Iceland, while Israel and Switzerland joined the network in 2008.

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