GLOBAL IMAGE VIRTUAL ARMENIA
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
18-09-2007 12:21:42

The minister of trade and development of economy Nerses Yeritsyan
in office for 100 days, whose appointment was unanimously stated by
experts to be a sensible, unbiased, non-clannish policy, put forward
a new thesis which will describe the so-called second generation of
reforms: "Shaping the global image of Armenia." In other words, the
upcoming actions of the government will be directed at it. Certainly,
Nerses Yeritsyan spoke about the plans of his ministry but it is clear
that no global image of Armenia will be shaped without a consolidated
action of the government. Meanwhile, the doubts that the actions of
the Armenian executive are hardly consolidated are righteous. And not
only the actions. The actions are mere consequences, effect, expression
of thinking. The problem is the difference of views, ideas, perception.

Certainly, not only Nerses Yeritsyan upholds the necessity of modern
approaches, discussion and solution of problems in accordance with
the logic of the process and deep analysis of the phenomena. But I
very much doubt that many other members of government who speak about
it believe their own words. In addition, these members of government
are rather influential and occupy rather important posts. For them
the global image of Armenia is a big plantation where their slaves
toil and produce output for their masters. And the masters decide how
to divide the output. It is not even an image or an association but
a credo. And in this context the excited statements of the minister
of trade and development of economy what should be done to develop
Armenia and achieve a modern level of relations are doomed to shape
the governmental PR to show what intelligent ministers, experienced
specialists they have appointed to government.

Can Nerses Yeritsyan tell us what modern approach is needed to
solve the problem when one of the oligarchs cheats a medium-sized
businessman? Meanwhile, it is a true story when the medium-sized
business sells a product to one of the companies run by the oligarch,
and the company does not pay. Meanwhile, it is a matter of a few
million drams. The medium-sized businessman has no way of getting
the money because if he gets involved in a conflict, the number of
unrevealed murders in Armenia will increase by one, and if he chooses
a dispute at the court of law, the society will become convinced once
again that the judicial system in Armenia merely serves the strong.

I suggest that Nerses Yeritsyan and also the other members of
government who consider themselves as progressive and having a modern
thinking, go deep into the cause or causes of this phenomenon and
say how the medium-sized businesses can be protected from major
businesses, who and how should stop the oligarch hiding behind the
back of a high-ranking official from cheating, robbing and enslaving.

And if now there is someone who can stop the oligarch, why has he
failed so far and will he share responsibility for the wrongdoings
of the oligarch as well?

If we do not discuss to the point these definite episodes of our life
which are the present image of Armenia, if we do not refer to things
and phenomena with their names, if we avoid discussing and addressing
responsibility for the vicious phenomena in Armenia, the talks about
the new image are but a mere display of knowledge. In addition, in
this case this knowledge is displayed to hide, and also to justify
other’s ignorance.