BARBECUE OF KARS ON ARMENIAN AND TURKISH BORDER
Hayk Aramyan
LRAGIR.AM
12:59:30 – 06/08/2009
The opinion that the opening of the Armenian and Turkish border will
be effective for the Armenian economy is often expressed. Political
figures, economists, businessmen note that Armenia will have a new
market this way, it will have short and cheap communications, which
will leave its positive impact on the Armenian economy. The ground is
said to be the fact that the closure of the border is in the Armenian
oligarchs’ favor, who are monopolists and dictate price policy. In
other words, according to them, the opening of the frontier will
contribute to the weakening of those monopolies. For example, the
former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan and the quasi oligarch Gurgen
Arsenyan state in this connection that one should think about the
future of Armenia and several hundreds of small businessmen and not
about 50-60 oligarchs.
Those having opposite stances, warn about the expansion of the Turkish
economy. The Turkish economic abilities are incomparable with those
of Armenia and the import of Turkish goods will destroy the home
production etc.
It is difficult to disagree with these stances if we forget the reality
for a second. However, returning to the reality we have to register
that all the stances stem from the same fundamental reality. The
point is about the Armenian economic structure.
The Armenian economy, in general the political-economic system,
is a strong compact of quotas and "zones" with their clear rights
and duties. The major business growing with the state structures
has monopolized the whole economic field. By serving the government
at the elections, isolating the society from electoral mechanisms
and depriving them from the right to form a government, the major
business has advantages and monopolies, which deprive the society
from its full life.
Under such conditions, if the main problem is not solved, and even
in case the Armenian and Turkish border is open three times a day,
nothing will change. Our oligarchs will monopolize the border with
Turkey trying to preserve the stability of the economic quotas in
the country. And this chain, which starts from the customs service,
will operate in the other circles too. Oligarchs will get richer,
and those representing the small and midsize business maybe will have
a couple of car washing points and places to make barbecue of Kars
near the Armenian and Turkish border.