00:10 Greetings from Gymri.
00:12 It's great to be here.
00:13 I arrived to Yerevan
00:15 actually on Sunday,
00:16 which also happens to coincide with the National Tree Planting Day here in Armenia.
00:21 And today I planted this tree here at the Gymri Technological Center.
00:26 And
00:26 why do I plant this tree?
00:28 Because trees are so important to us.
00:30 We hear it all the time that trees are the lungs of the earth,
00:33 and they really are.
00:36 All countries need to take efforts to protect trees,
00:38 and I'm so happy to see Armenia is doing it
00:41 and that the World Bank is providing its small contribution to it.
00:52 The purpose of my visit is to discuss
00:55 priorities for the government under the new government's program
01:00 and with a particular emphasis on how the World Bank can be of help.
01:04 We have met with the Prime Minister,
01:06 Deputy Prime Minister,
01:07 Minister of Finance,
01:09 as well as development partners
01:11 here in Armenia.
01:12 Of course there were multiple shocks in
01:14 2020 which affected the economy very seriously.
01:18 But we were very happy to see that 2021 has
01:22 seen a significant and strong rebound in the economy,
01:26 and we talked about how to make sure that it is sustained and sustainable.
01:38 I'm here in Gymri.
01:39 Two very special things about Gymri.
01:41 It is the 2nd largest city in Armenia,
01:44 and I'm in front of this beautiful building
01:47 which also is the oldest state university of
01:50 Armenia,
01:51 now
01:52 the
01:53 Gymri Technology Center.
01:55 The university dates back to 1919,
01:58 and now the building has been renovated to house
02:01 an incredibly interesting technology center
02:04 that is spreading innovation around Armenia and beyond.
02:08 OK.
02:10 In GTC you are met with incessant talk and energy,
02:14 people buzzing about and discussing new business
02:16 projects and teaming up for creative results.
02:19 Scores of people from all walks of life enter the center each
02:22 day with the enthusiasm of someone about to discover something big.
02:29 Armenia is known around the world for its great science and technology,
02:34 and today I got to witness it here
02:37 at the Gymri Technology Center.
02:40 This is where companies come together
02:43 that have presence in Armenia but also around the world.
02:47 The World Bank is so proud to be a partner in this.
02:50 We have invested in this technology center,
02:53 helping renovate an old beautiful building that has historical value.
02:57 And now houses some of the most innovative and creative companies
03:00 in Armenia.
03:04 As of today,
03:05 GTZ houses 30 companies with over 200 employees and up to 1000 students
03:11 have established business connections with over 10 countries.
03:15 Ikartikov shot Hamasakunna
03:25 Karakapan FT and artikov mettarakna nor Lutum evil.
03:42 It was also important to attract investments from the private sector.
03:45 Several companies have set up operations in Gri,
03:48 and they not only use the technology center for their premises,
03:52 but also support the ecosystem around it.
04:00 Hello,
04:01 how are you,
04:03 Anna?
04:03 Nice to meet you.
04:05 Nice to meet
04:05 you.
04:06 Thank you so much.
04:07 Nice to be here.
04:08 So this is your tea shop.
04:10 It is
04:12 very nice.
04:12 I've heard a lot about it.
04:14 I also heard that you are very famous because you moved from Switzerland to Gumri.
04:19 Why did I come back?
04:21 Because I realized that the country needs people who will build it.
04:25 Actually,
04:26 very good.
04:27 I asked the question to myself,
04:29 if not me,
04:30 who then?
04:32 Welcome,
04:32 please,
04:33 yes.
04:36 Thank you.
04:37 wow,
04:39 very nice,
04:40 beautiful.
04:48 Here I am on Shirai Street.
04:51 Shirasi Street is one of 6 streets here in Gumri that
04:55 we have financed under the Local Economy and Infrastructure Development project.
05:00 These streets have been so instrumental for Gymri's economic
05:04 benefits.
05:05 Why?
05:05 Because Gymri was affected very much by the 1988 earthquake,
05:09 on top of already being a region that has suffered from poverty.
05:13 What the streets have done is create a A lot of additional investment,
05:17 investments in coffee shops,
05:19 art centers,
05:21 places to go,
05:23 life really in the city,
05:24 so it has generated so much economic benefits.
05:27 And now I'm so glad to see it
05:29 because the combination of investment in historical buildings,
05:33 architecture,
05:34 and life
05:35 makes Cymri a place to come to for shopping,
05:38 for creating,
05:40 for investing,
05:40 and to staying in.
- add-style
- lp-body-content