Which Organization Will Handle the Organization of the "World Armenian Summit" and at What Cost?

According to the "Zhoghovurd" daily, in mid-September, the political elite will be occupied not only with the start of the new session of the National Assembly but also with the event of the "World Armenian Summit". The summit, scheduled for September 17-20, has already incurred expenses amounting to 242 million 399 thousand drams, equivalent to 620 thousand US dollars. For this amount, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan could organize a two-day cycling tour around Lake Sevan and proclaim 'long live cycling' just as many times.

The "World Armenian Summit" is set to take place from September 17-20, 2024, with plans for at least 800 participants from around 50 countries, as well as at least 200 guests from the Republic of Armenia. It is anticipated that there will be at least 8 panel discussions and around 25 sessions in various formats. Additionally, 3 exhibitions (expo) are planned, along with impressive opening and closing ceremonies.

Notably, according to the program, 180 speakers from about 20 countries are expected to attend. Concurrently, preparations are underway in Armenia for the 8th World Conference on Wine Tourism organized by the UN World Tourism Organization. The Ministry of Economy has allocated 151 million drams (approximately 380 thousand dollars) for this conference, which will take place from September 11-13.

The organizational aspects of both the "World Armenian Summit" and the UN Wine Tourism Conference will be handled by "Luxury Voyage" LLC, which has signed a contract for this purpose. The activity of "Luxury Voyage" LLC has been noticeable in government procurements since 2023. The "Zhoghovurd" daily has clarified that the company was founded in 2012, and according to the state registry of legal entities, 100% of the company's shares have belonged to Liana Davidiann since 2015, with her sister Anna Davidiann serving as the director.

Since 2023, "Luxury Voyage" LLC has begun participating in government procurements, securing 7 major contracts with the Yerevan City Hall, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Ministry of Economy. The total value of these contracts amounts to nearly 520 million drams (around 1 million 340 thousand dollars). These are the expenses that the government has planned for September, which essentially will provide nothing to our country facing serious security challenges.