Friday,
Pashinian Government Defends Its Long-Term ‘Mega Goals’
• Sargis Harutyunyan
The Armenian government is holding its regular session (file photo)
Vice-Premier Tigran Avinian has reaffirmed his government’s vision of Armenia’s
strategic goals for the next three decades or so that were outlined by Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian earlier this week.
Speaking at a rally in the Nagorno-Karabakh capital of Stepanakert on August 5,
Pashinian, in particular, said that increasing the country’s gross domestic
product (GDP) 15 times should be among the “mega goals” of Armenian governments
in the period until 2050. He also said that the country’s population by then
should grow from today’s 3 million to 5 million.
Talking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) on Friday, Avinian said
that in order to meet the GDP growth target by 2050 Armenia’s economy needs to
annually grow by 9.5 percent on average, which, according to the official, is
quite doable.
Vice-Premier Tigran Avinian
“If corresponding efforts are made what today seems unrealistic will become
possible in the very near future,” said Avinian.
Armenia’s economy expanded by 5.2 percent in 2018. The International Monetary
Fund predicts a 4.5-percent GDP growth for Armenia this year, while the
country’s Central Bank expects the Armenian economy to grow between 4.6 and 6.1
percent in 2019.
Vice-Premier Avinian, meanwhile, expressed confidence that Armenia will be able
to get on track for fulfilling the ambitious goals through reforms to be
carried in the coming years.
“I think that with in-depth reforms and overall budget revisions in the next
few years these existing inertial approaches will be completely changed, and in
particular with the introduction of an inclusive economic growth model, with
the expansion of education and healthcare services when we will be working to
develop the human capital, I am sure it can’t but yield its serious results in
the future,” he said.
“Perhaps it won’t happen in the next few years, but after that when some deep
changes are made in the system of education, science, in the sphere of high
technologies, healthcare, I am confident that this can’t but yield some serious
results,” Avinian added.
Earlier, some economists voiced skepticism over the government’s vision of its
future goals.
Economist Bagrat Asatrian, who served as governor of Armenia’s Central Bank in
1994-1998, for instance, said that in order to expand its economy 15-fold by
2050 Armenia will need to dramatically accelerate its growth rates.
“At the current rate of growth we will at best quadruple our GDP in 30 years’
time,” he said.
Anticipating skeptical assessments by economists and analysts, Pashinian
stressed in his speech on August 5 that after achieving “the impossible” during
the 2018 “velvet revolution”, Armenians are no longer interested in “what is
possible.”
“What is possible to implement is no longer interesting for us. We are
interested in what everyone considers to be impossible to realize. Because the
Armenian people have already realized what is impossible!” he underscored.
Iranian President Invited To Attend EEU Summit In Yerevan
Kyrgyzstan/Eurasian Union - Prime Ministers of the Eurasian Economic Union meet
in Cholpon-Ata,09Aug,2019
Iranian President Hassan Rohani has been invited to attend a summit of a
Russian-led economic grouping, which is to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, this
fall.
This was announced by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian who made opening
remarks at the Inter-Governmental Council of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
that took place in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, on Friday.
Armenia currently presides over different bodies of the organization that
embraces Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan and Pashinian
spoke as the chair at the meeting, presenting the results of his recent visits
abroad and negotiations in the context of the EEU.
As quoted by his press office, the Armenian prime minister reported on his
talks in Vietnam and Singapore. He said that he, in particular, discussed the
possibility of signing a free trade agreement between the EEU and Singapore.
Yerevan is to host a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council to be
attended by Russian
President Vladimir Putin and other leaders of the post-Soviet economic
grouping. Pashinian said that Singapore’s prime minister is ready to attend the
session for signing the agreement if it is drafted by that time.
“I had the consent of the heads of all EEU member states on that,” Pashinian
said, asking his colleagues to “maximally speed up” the procedures ahead of the
Yerevan summit.
“In accordance with agreements with the heads of EEU-member states I also
invited the president of Iran to attend the session of the Supreme Eurasian
Economic Council that will take place in Yerevan,” said the Armenian premier,
apparently referring to his talks with the Iranian leader as part of his visit
to Tehran in February.
Pashinian also said that an international forum entitled “Transit Potential of
the Eurasian Continent” will be held on the sidelines of the Yerevan summit and
the leaders of the EEU and its partner states have been invited to attend the
event.
“It is expected that the forum will discuss topical issues related to the
development of the continent’s transport-logistical network, prospects of
developing new and implementation of existing large-scale infrastructure
projects of the region’s states as well as issue connected with the development
of digital corridors of Eurasia,” the Armenian leader said.
Addressing the EEU Inter-Governmental Council’s session, Pashinian also
highlighted the importance of a set of measures planned until 2025 that will
lead to the establishment of a common financial market among the EEU member
states.
It is expected that the Concept on the establishment of this market will be
signed during the EEU summit in the Armenian capital on October 1.
Speaking about regulations on the alcohol beverages market, Pashinian said that
the EEU member states generally support the removal of barriers in this sector
of the economy. He said this direction is a priority for Armenia, which is
internationally recognized for its brandy and wine production.
Pashinian also highlighted the importance for entities working the agribusiness
sector to have some summarized information on the supply and demand on
agricultural produce in the EEU member states.
Armenian, Russian PMs Speak Of ‘Dynamic Growth’ In Bilateral Ties
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry
Medvedev during a meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, August 9, 2019
The prime ministers of Armenia and Russia discussed a wide range of issues
pertaining to the “strategic relations” between the two countries as they met
on the sidelines of a Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) session in Kyrgyzstan on
Friday.
According to the press office of the Armenian prime minister, in the Kyrgyz
resort town of Cholpon-Ata Nikol Pashinian and Dmitry Medvedev also addressed
further development of commercial and economic links, expansion of trade, plans
for joint projects.
“Pashinian and Medvedev stated that there is a dynamic growth in bilateral
relations, and active work should be continued to strengthen and develop
Armenian-Russian allied relations,” Pashinian’s press office said.
The Russian prime minister reportedly welcomed Armenia’s “successful
presidency” in the EEU and spoke about progress in bilateral relations, citing
as evidenced frequent high-level official meetings and contacts at various
levels.
The prime minister of Armenia, for his part, welcomed the course of strategic
cooperation between Yerevan and Moscow and expressed satisfaction, in
particular, with progress in the field of tourism.
According to the results of the first six months of 2019, the number of Russian
tourists visiting Armenia increased by 19 percent as compared to the same
period last year, Pashinian said.
In the context of further development of bilateral relations, the Armenian
premier highlighted the importance of the full use of the EEU’s potential.
“During the meeting the prime ministers of Armenia and Russia addressed issues
related to cooperation in the field of natural gas supply, nuclear power, air
transport, as well as a number of other issues on the bilateral agenda. The two
also exchanged views on the issues recently raised in Armenian and Russian
media,” the press release said.
Karabakh General ‘Ready’ To Repeat His Testimony At Kocharian Trial
• Naira Nalbandian
President Serzh Sarkisian awards Major-General Samvel Karapetian (file photo)
Nagorno-Karabakh’s Major-General Samvel Karapetian is ready to repeat what he
said during his interrogation in court at the trial of former President Robert
Kocharian, who is charged with overthrowing the constitutional order by
involving the military in quelling post-election demonstrations in 2008.
After on August 7 the BBC Russian Service, citing materials of the Armenian
investigation, named Karapetian as the general who led the 2008 March 1-2
suppression of opposition protests, in which 10 people were killed, the local
Armlur news website published the documented transcript of the interrogation of
the general also known as Oganovsky.
Talking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am), Karapetian confirmed the
authenticity of the document published by the news website, saying that it was
his signature under it.
“Nothing has changed. There is nothing else that I may have forgotten to
mention and would add now… The information laid down there is the reality,”
said Karapetian.
In his testimony the general says that on February 23, 2008 together with
Colonel-General Movses Hakobian he participated in consultations held by then
president Robert Kocharian and two hours later he was informed about an order
to form a combined battalion from among different Nagorno-Karabakh detachments
and send it to Yerevan. According to Karapetian, about 300 servicemen,
including snipers, arrived in Yerevan and he had been appointed their commander.
“The combined battalion included officers and non-commissioned officers, all
had come to Yerevan with their weapons, their full armament and combat weapons.
The troops were in their usual uniform, but after arriving in Yerevan they tore
their chevrons,” Karapetian said during the interrogation, adding that the
troops were arriving in Karabakh Defense Army vehicles, but in Yerevan the
license plates of the vehicles were changed to those of the Armenian Ministry
of Defense. Karapetian said that he had learned from the Defense Army commander
that the combined battalion would be subordinate to the then head of the
Yerevan garrison, Yuri Khachaturov, who is currently accused in the ‘March 1’
case.
According to Karapetian, instructions to him were conveyed by an operative
headquarters officer on duty, but he was not aware of where the headquarters
was located, and met with Khachaturov only in the government building.
According to Karapetian, the troops stayed in the basement of the government
building, guarding the building from the inside. Later, another 400 people were
brought from Nagorno-Karabakh and they stayed at the base and guarded the
building in shifts until mid-April 2008.
During the interrogation, the investigator tells Karapetian: “During the
investigation data were obtained that in February 2008 you chose 60 troops, who
were better trained and were psychologically more stable, from among those who
arrived from Nagorno-Karabakh to Yerevan, explaining to them what actions were
possible and saying that, if necessary, an order would be given to them to open
fire at people. Twenty of the troops expressed their readiness and you housed
them in the Presidential Palace. According to the data obtained in the case,
Aram Sargsian nicknamed Hakim was appointed immediate commander of the
20-member group.” The investigator then gives other nicknames – Kandaz, Tsul
Nverik, Spetsnazi Gago, who, according to the investigator, formed groups, were
sent to the streets of Yerevan and shot at people.
In response to this question, Karapetian said that it was information that “did
not correspond to the reality.”
Talking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am), Karapetian said that he
was ready to confront those who would say that during those days they saw him
at Baghramyan Avenue 26, where the presidential administration was located. He
said the interrogator was basing his question on someone’s testimony. He denied
that there was any such order or any such people.
During the interrogation, Karapetian also said that the troops were provided
with food and household items, but did not confirm the information that the
matters were settled by tycoons Samvel Aleksanian and Gagik Tsarukian. He said
that the food was provided through Grisha Sargsian, head of the State
Protection Department of the National Security Service.
The Armlur news website, which published Karapetian’s interrogation protocol,
had earlier published the protocol of the interrogation of former President
Serzh Sarkisian and the Special Investigation Service (SIS) launched a criminal
case against the media outlet for “revealing secrets of the preliminary
investigation.” The SIS has not yet clarified what it will do with this release.
Major-General Karapetian held the post of Nagorno-Karabakh’s deputy defense
minister until April 2019 when he resigned at his own request.
Press Review
The editor of “Aravot” suggests that the events of recent days in
Nagorno-Karabakh have only given the occasion to some Armenians to once again
remember about the call for “the reunification of Nagorno-Karabakh with
Armenia”: “Don’t you remember what we wanted in 1988? We wanted
Nagorno-Karabakh to become an Armenian province. Emotionally everything is
clear and even acceptable. But issues emerge when such questions are raised at
the political level.”
“Zhoghovurd” reports that the Public Council is drafting a “fairly important
project” that envisages penalties for companies that have done no construction
work for 10 years after obtaining a corresponding license. “This is a really
welcome measure as our capital city that reminds more of a construction site
has for years had foundation pits and half-construction buildings that only
create dirt and dust. And this landscape is not changing for years,” the paper
writes.
Lragir.am reports that the Prosecutor-General’s Office has revealed a case of
large-scale corruption within the system of mandatory vehicle inspections. The
online publication wonders if the government will make any steps on that or
“the system of vehicle inspections, which are often of a formal nature, will
continue to benefit from the payments mandated by the government.”
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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