AMERICAN EXPERT SAYS USA SUPPORTS SERZH SARGSYAN FOR THE SAKE OF STABILITY
Panorama.am
13:05 06/10/06
Richard Kirakosyan, an American expert, delivered a lecture at
War and Peace Reporting Institute upon the invitation of Armenian
International Economic Research Group. In his words, USA and Russia
have common wish to see stability in Armenia and Defense Minister
Serzh Sargsyan’s candidacy is prefered in this sense.
Washington does not see serious opposition in Armenia.
"No matter what dreams Arthur Baghdasaryan has, he is not
Sahakashvili," Richard Kirakosyan said. U.S.
Administration has reconsidered its attitude to revolutions and
supports phase-to-phase approach to democracy building, so to say,
evolutionary democratic reforms.
Kirakosyan said the main challenges for Armenia are from within,
i.e., corruption and social-economic polarization between the capital
and regions.
Speaking about oligarchy, the expert said USA had the same problem in
30s of the last century. In time, many businessmen, like Rockefeller,
were obliged to obey the law and president Roosevelt was persistent
and successfully combated oligarchs.
The expert said, that in the Armenian reality, the oligarchs have a
mandate of a deputy and can negatively affect the reforms. However,
Kirakosyan said, "there are also businessmen among them who need
transparency and rule of law." /Panorama.am/