Prime minister Tigran Sargsyan said that in 2010 a deal should be finalised that will give Armenian high-tech companies permanent representation in the Californian technology hub. The hope is that these companies will benefit from Silicon Valley’s market and expertise and bring some of these gains back to Armenia.

There is also a geopolitical advantage in the country’s expansion in this field. With two of its four borders closed, the IT sector does not have the same physical constraints as other industries.

One area of concern for the government is that the move will intensify the already high numbers of Armenians who have left the country for better opportunities abroad. This trend has been growing since the country’s independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union.