The Russian market is 145 million, the EEU market, in case of bigger, more effective management if we do not hinder our businessmen here and take one additional step towards integration with Russia, I am really convinced that entering that big market will open such large reserves for Armenia that we can succeed very easily. The second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, stated this during a talk with his supporters, and referring to the country's economic prospects.
"It will also be interesting for Russia to support on a small scale to the extent that Armenia differ considerably in its economic progress and serve as an example for others in terms of deeper integration. This can be an example that will make the path to deeper integration with Russia appealing. Let's not get involved in making a model because I have such a program and I know what exactly needs to be done," he said.
Kocharyan stated that macroeconomic stability and the investment environment, which have been completely destroyed in Armenia during these three years, are also extremely important for the stability of the economic sphere. "Yes, there is that opportunity, and if I did not have the confidence that we [Armenia] are able to repeat the economic success we achieved in 1998-2008 [when Kocharyan had served as President], I would not have made this bid to run in the [snap parliamentary] elections [slated for June 20].
I myself will ask, from the beginning, not to vote for me to those who do not want to work, because I will not let him be a diplomat lying on the couch. There is an opportunity to turn Armenia into a big construction site. There will be a job for everyone," said the former president.
He added that today the inflation in Armenia has reached abnormal levels, and it should not be like this. "When you try to understand why this is so, the government does not give any explanation. When you look [at it] with numbers, you realize that not only politics is being built on fraud, but also the economy. The situation with inflation can also be corrected in a very short time. You will feel it within a month after the elections.
There are no investments at all. A country without such natural resources as oil, [natural] gas cannot develop. And the investment policy has reached such a state that no sensibly-thinking investor will invest in Armenia. They destroyed the banking confidentiality, a number of other issues, chasing businessmen with mask shows, initiating criminal cases, waving their fingers … you do not develop an economy like that.
Just one sentence is enough to forget about the investment climate [in Armenia], when the [acting] prime minister says that they will attach an NSS [National Security Service] employee to every investor; that’s just enough. This means understanding the psychology of an investor, a businessman at zero level. It is difficult to even invent such stupidity," concluded Robert Kocharyan.
