CRISIS WILL BE ALSO OVERCOME ON STATE LEVEL
James Hakobyan

LRAGIR.AM
13:54:21 – 14/04/2009

The Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili, in his interview with the
Newsweek, dwelt on Armenia with a very impolite tone again, calling
our country a poor or miserable, because our economy completely
depends on Russia. Of course, when Serge Sargsyan comes back from
Iran, the official Yerevan will respond to Saakashvili, like the
previous time, when the official Yerevan said that Serge Sargsyan is
also asked a number of questions about our neighbouring countries, but
he never permits himself to voice his opinion on the other countries’
economic-political situation, considering it an impolite behaviour. As
it is seen, the previous respond of Yerevan does not seem to have
bothered much Saakashvili and he reiterated his assessment on the
bad state of the Armenian economy.

Saakashvili really did wrong. What he said is not only not right from
interstate point of view, but also from humane point of view. Why it
is necessary to speak about the good state of your own economic state
against the background of the others’ economy. It is different when
you do that through the TV. For example, a Georgian "independent"
TV channel may be structured to broadcast some kind of questions and
answers program dwelling on the Armenian economy, every day, 5 minutes
in a news program, in result of which the Georgian public will have
the impression that there is no economy in Armenia, but only rural and
domestic economy. After seeing this, the Georgians will thank their
government. After all, all the civilized nations act in this way,
especially if they are civilized for about 4 thousands of years. Is
not the TV to dwell on the problems of your country? The TV is for
bad days, when it is necessary to speak but not about the problems.

And the Georgian foreign minister Grigol Vashadze, who refused speaking
Russian in Armenia, stated a few days ago, by the way on the Georgian
TV, that their country will establish strategical relations with
Armenia. In other words, if Armenia has only been a neighbour for
Georgia so far, it will become a strategic partner after this. But,
Vashadze is also possible to have stated this just for fun and this
will not necessarily come true.

But, Saakashvili is also possible to have said it just for fun,
and there is no need to pay much attention on what he said. Armenia
does not become poor or miserable by what Saakashvili said. Armenia
becomes poor or miserable without what he said. Even if it is sad,
Saakashvili just registered a fact.

The point is that if Armenia does not have such dependence from Russia
now, the impact of the global crisis and its dangerous perspectives
would not be so big for Armenia. The fact is that the Armenian economy
was breathing during these years with the help of the transfers coming
from Russia, which provided our compatriots working there, or with the
help of the capital coming from Russia, which is a dominant in almost
every field of the Armenian economy. Besides, for nearly all Armenian
productions the main and maybe the only market is that of Russia.

While, today, the global crisis impacted mostly the Russian economy. Of
course, the Russian TV channels, like the Armenian ones, only speak how
the government allocates milliards of money for different fields, but,
in reality, Russia appeared in a very serious economic crisis. This
is, of course, very sorrowful, as the worse the Russian state is
the worse it will leave its impact on the Armenian economy. But,
this is a fact. It is a fact that the Armenian government enjoyed
the fruits of the "economic miracle" determined by the oil price rise
and did nothing for the diversification of the Armenian economy. The
current government does not do anything either, although the current
government has a good justification, because the diversification of
the economy is very difficult in state of crisis. But, on the other
hand, the diversification seems to become inevitable in this state
of crisis, a necessary step. In addition, a step which will provide
little result for the present moment, but will secure the future.

Though, if you hear the Armenian TV channels, it is difficult to dream
of a more secure future for Armenia because according to the Armenian
free and independent TV, Georgia and Azerbaijan are going to destroy,
and Armenia is to become the only country which was the first to adopt
the Christianity as a state religion, and will be also the first to
overcome the global crisis on the state level.