New alliances in ancient regions

In the changing landscape of geopolitical alignments, a new alliance is forming in Eurasia with India in the middle of it

- PRANJAL SHARMA

Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, achieved city status in 1879 and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Yerevan wears its heritage with pride and modernity. A walk along the main square and its avenues bustling with high-end stores, cafes, and restaurants allows an impressive view of this modern capital in the South Caucasus. Armenia has a civilizational history as kingdoms have existed there since the 9th century BC. In the year 301, Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion.

Over the centuries, it faced many invasions and attacks. In 1915, Armenia suffered a genocide of about 1.5 million people by the Turkish Ottoman Empire. From 1922 to 1991, it was a part of the Soviet Union as the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Despite its tortured history, Armenia has grown into a resilient democracy that has built on its agricultural and technological strengths.

TECHNOLOGY AND TOURISM

Its path to modernity is well represented by the Engineering City, an innovation campus populated by high-tech companies. Developed with support from the World Bank and the Government of Armenia, Engineering City is managed by a consortium of private companies. Within the campus are companies that are developing cutting-edge tech solutions in sectors such as automation; semi-conductors; biomedicals; aerospace; and scientific instrumentation.

According to investment promotion agency Enterprise Armenia, the tech sector output was over $2.6 billion last year, with over 45,000 people working in the area. For a country with just under 3 million people, a large number of professionals are engaged in technical vocations. "Armenia's free economic zones offer a business-friendly environment with tax incentives and streamlined regulations, attracting investors and boosting the country's economy," the investment promotion agency says.