OREANDA-NEWS. September 30, 2009. President Serzh Sargsyan conducted working visits to Ararat and Armavir marzes, reported the Official website president.am.

The President visited the Yerevan Brandy factory branch in Aygavan village, Masis Tobacco Company, MAP wine and brandy producing factory where he familiarized with the produce harnessing and production processes.

In Aygavan the President of Armenia conversed also with the villagers who grow and sell grapes, listened to their concerns and issues related to the utilization of the produce.

Later, at the head office of Armavir administration the President of Armenia conducted a meeting related to the grape harnessing campaign and pertinent problems with the participation of the Minister of Territorial Administration, the Minister of Agriculture, heads of a number of regional administrations and managers of processing companies.

President Sargsyan said that the problems currently hampering the harnessing process should be settled based on the previously reached agreements between the villagers and processing companies. “On that issue the state will stand by the villager. We must totally utilize the harvested produce. All those companies who have signed agreements with the villagers must fully deliver their part of the deal. It is true that this year’s produce is a little more plentiful than last year. Besides, there are grape growers who didn’t sign agreements neither in previous years nor this spring. However, opportunities must be found to harness that extra amount of the produce as well,” the President of Armenia said.

The President of Armenia called upon the leaders of the processing companies not to use the economic and financial crisis and related difficulties, such as difficulties with selling final products as an excuse for purchasing the villagers’ produce for lower prices. “I understand that in the market you face problems related to capital circulation, but you should put yourself in their shoes – they have worked the entire year growing the grapes only to face in the end the problem of selling it,” noted the President of Armenia.

Serzh Sargsyan said that on the stage of selling the final product, the state must stand by with the producing companies, creating favorable conditions and assisting them in entering new markets. According to the President, efficiency of the works of the Ministry of Agriculture and territorial administrations will also be judged from that point of view.

The President of Armenia also touched upon the issue of preserving the repute of the Armenian brandy in the foreign markets, noting that those who produce low quality brandy undermine reputation, which has been maintained for decades, with all the ensuing consequences. On this issue the President of Armenia stressed the importance of the state-private sector cooperation, suggesting the producers to create a union and in parallel with the quality monitoring state bodies through the self-organization to control the disreputable producers.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the President of Armenia assigned the relevant bodies with concrete tasks.

The President of Armenia visited also Ararat town and laid a wreath at the newly erected monument of Sparapet Vazgen Sargissian.