N]; People's Party of Armenia
[Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Prosperous Armenia [Gagik TSAROUKYAN]; Republic
Party [Aram SARKISYAN]; Republican Party of Armenia or HHK [Serzh
SARGSIAN]; Rule of Law Party (Orinats Yerkir) [Artur BAGHDASARIAN];
Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor
Party [Gurgen ARSENYAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Aylentrank (Impeachment) [Nikol PASHINYAN]; Yerkrapah Union [Manvel
GRIGORIAN]

International organization participation:

ACCT (observer), ADB, BSEC, CE, CIS, CSTO, EAEC (observer), EAPC,
EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU,
MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIF (associate member), OPCW,
OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Tatoul MARKARIAN
chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Marie L. YOVANOVITCH
embassy: 1 American Ave., Yerevan 0082
mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, US Department of State,
7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020
telephone: [374](10) 464-700
FAX: [374](10) 464-742

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange

Economy
Armenia

Economy - overview:

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia has made
progress in implementing many economic reforms including
privatization, price reforms, and prudent fiscal policies. The
conflict with Azerbaijan over the ethnic Armenian-dominated region
of Nagorno-Karabakh contributed to a severe economic decline in the
early 1990s. By 1994, however, the Armenian Government launched an
ambitious IMF-sponsored economic liberalization program that
resulted in positive growth rates. Economic growth has averaged over
13% in recent years. Armenia has managed to reduce poverty, slash
inflation, stabilize its currency, and privatize most small- and
medium-sized enterprises. Under the old Soviet central planning
system, Armenia developed a modern industrial sector, supplying
machine tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to sister
republics, in exchange for raw materials and energy. Armenia has
since switched to small-scale agriculture and aw