ABSTRACT
This chapter provides Armenia profiles, including key information about the relevant corporate sustainability and responsibility (CSR) history, country-specific issues, trends, research, education and leading organizations. The concept of CSR, corporate sustainability or community investment is poorly understood in Armenia. Most of the large local companies are owned by the so-called oligarchs, Armenians who grew rich in the transition period from communism to capitalism, when state assets were privatised. Since March 2008, some organisations active in Armenia have come together to create an informal CSR working group aimed at promoting the concept of corporate responsibility in the country. The Prime Minister of Armenia listed the main challenges facing Armenia in a speech to Parliament in April 2008. CSR is also not yet seen as a separate line of work in Armenia, with only one company boasting a CSR specialist. Armenia does not have any legislative measures which reward community investments or philanthropic donations through tax incentives.
