CORRUPTION IS ARMENIA’S ACHILLES HEEL: ASHOTYAN

Tert
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

The problem of corruption is Armenia’s Achilles heel, Republic of
Armenia Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan said while
meeting with Armenian youth in Russia. Ashotyan was responding to a
question posed by Union of Armenians in Russia (UAR) Vice-President
Levon Mukanyan on corruption in the education sector and the option
of having a hotline number to call in cases of corruption.

According to the minister, there is a hotline, "but unfortunately, the
calls of most citizens are anonymous and without any follow-up, and
in that case it’s difficult to differentiate truth from slander. But
the appropriate bodies regularly deal with that."

At the same time, Ashotyan stated that as of today, receiving
education in Armenia is attractive both for Armenian citizens and
for foreigners. "6,500 out of 100,000 students studying at higher
educational institutions, as well as elementary and secondary
vocational educational institutions in Armenia are international
students. Their percentage is quite large according to international
criteria and enriches Armenia’s economy with 25 million USD annually.

It’s already clear that in Armenia the number of international
students will increase, taking into account that not all efforts are
used to attract international students," said Ashotyan, according to
the Union of Armenians in Russia website.