Armenia hosts Int'l wine conference

A two-day international conference on wine-making kicked off here Thursday aiming to identify the development trends and perspectives of the sector in Armenia.

Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan attended the opening ceremony of the conference during which he spoke of the need to make Armenian wine an internationally recognized brand, said a government press release.

"We have identified the sector as a primary sector for economic development, we have created the Vine & Wine Foundation to boost wine-making in the country," Karapetyan said, elaborating the steps his government had taken to spur growth in the sector.

The conference, organized by the Vine & Wine Foundation of Armenia, takes place for the first time in Yerevan.

Armenia's Minister of Agriculture Ingati Arakelyan said "it is a key initiative that stresses the significance of the sector."

Armenia hopes that the conference will provide a platform for different stakeholders and companies to forge potential business and scientific partnerships as well as share best international practices.