Eduardo Eurnekian
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Eduardo Eurnekian is an Argentine-Armenian businessman who has built an almost $1 billion media empire in the 1990s and who is now the main owner of a consortium operating 76 airports worldwide, mostly across Argentina and elsewhere in South America as well as in Armenia. He also owns 2,000 square kilometres of land and food processing factories in northern Argentina.
In February 1998, a consortium led by Mr. Eurnekian won a 30-year concession to run 33 of the Argentina's main airports. He also bought the Howard Johnsons master franchise for Argentina from Cendant Corp. of the U.S. and planed to pepper Argentina with U.S.-style hotels and motels. He was also engaged in talks to invest in a regional airline company.
ON December 17, 2001, Eurnekian's Corporacion America signed a 30-year concession agreement with the Armenian government for the management of operations of Zvartnots International Airport, which is Armenia's largest airport[1]. The company launched the construction of a new terminal which brought the airport into conformity with international standards. The total cost of the project was more than $50 million[2].
Eurnekian also unveiled plans to invest millions of dollars into Armenia's agribusiness sector as he set up a joint venture with a local firm.
Senior executives from Tierras de Armenia, a Yerevan-based company belonging to him, and Max Group said they are joining forces to develop 60 square kilometres of arid land in the southern Armavir region into fruit orchards. They pledged to invest up to $25 million in the venture in the next few years.
"In the next five or six years we will also set up a fairly big fruit processing plant in the area," said Mher Bagratian, a major Max Group shareholder.
"We believe that this is going to be a long-term business project that could assist in the country's further development," said Marcelo Vende, the chief executive of Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport who represents Eurnekian.
Max Group's activities are quite diverse, ranging from fuel imports to agribusiness. One of its two other owners is Harutiun Pambukian, a wealthy parliamentarian close to President Robert Kocharian.
Senior government officials present at the signing of the deal welcomed Eurnekian's decision to expand his business presence in Armenia into agriculture. `Agriculture is gradually becoming a profitable area for doing business,' Agriculture Minister David Lokian told RFE/RL.
On July 17, 2003, a judge in Argentina issued an international arrest warrant for him following his failure to return to Argentina from a vacation in Italy, thereby violating a court summons. He was suspected of having evaded more than $5 million in taxes.[3]
[edit] See also
- Zvartnots International Airport
- Shirak Airport
- Corporacion America
