Azerbaijani political commentator Azad Isazade has repeatedly said that it is important for the Azerbaijani side that Pashinyan remains in power. But now it is already going further, talking about the possibility of physically interfering in the Armenian elections, bringing in “Azerbaijani peacekeepers”, so to speak, to protect Pashinyan. This is a manifestation of “poor” Nikol’s “sovereign” policy, that the opponent can even afford such a thought…

In order for Aliyev’s candidate not to remain in power, and for them to no longer be able to interfere in the internal political life of Armenia, elections should be held on June 7.

Azerbaijanologist Tatev Hayrapetyan

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I do not think that Trump’s post will be a serious support for the re-election of the government. Everyone knows the American position towards these authorities, and speaking about it once again, even at the highest level, does not change anything. It is a different matter that it may have the opposite effect in a certain way, not from the point of view of the attitude of Tehran, Moscow and Beijing, but also among the circles that have a negative attitude towards Trump.

Of course, sociological polls will form a clearer picture, but I don’t think it will become a factor that has a significant impact on the already existing results.

After all, there are known cases when Trump can praise, criticize or threaten such leaders as the prince of Saudi Arabia, the leader of North Korea, the presidents of Russia and China (from praise to harsh criticism), the Prime Minister of Canada, etc. within a week. The same applies to his teammates, even the same Elon Musk, dozens of congressmen and senators, former and current team members, etc.

In other words, in the case of Trump, it can take only one day to go from loving to hating and loving again.
P.S. This is one of my favorite examples. First dined with Trudeau, then named governor.

Political scientist Suren Sargsyan

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On the basis of measures implemented by the RA Anti-Corruption Committee and the RA National Security Service, the proceedings initiated by the Anti-Corruption Committee yielded factual information that the representative of the “Strong Armenia” party, along with other persons, paid electoral bribes to a number of voters in Shirak Marz on the condition that they would vote for their party in the National Assembly elections.

This is reported by the Anti-Corruption Committee.

In connection with the incident, the RA Anti-Corruption Committee initiated criminal proceedings, arrested a number of persons, and carried out administrative actions.

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Representatives of the “Strong Armenia” party will be present at all polling stations to prevent violations, especially during the counting of votes. This was announced today, May 29, by Gohar Meloyan, a candidate for parliament of the “Strong Armenia” party and a specialist in constitutional law.

He noted that he participated in the observation mission as part of a small group in the 2021 elections, and the main violation recorded at that time was the theft of votes, when the number of one political force was called out during the counting, but the ballot was placed on the ballot box of a completely different force. “Unfortunately, in 2021, I had quite limited resources, at the expense of my own funds and our public organization, with the support of my compatriots who were not indifferent. There were only 35 of us. And we recorded more than 100 violations in the city of Yerevan alone,” he stated. In particular, he emphasized the dual function of the observation missions – the recording of violations and their prompt prevention on the day of the vote, noting that in a number of cases during the local elections, incidents were prevented on the spot.

Meloyan stated that the party is in contact with international partners and regularly conveys information to them about violations found during the ongoing pre-election campaign. “We inform our partners every day. If the current trends continue, I am sure that it will be reflected in international reports,” he said, adding that he considers what is happening to be a “hybrid intervention” and pressure on “Strong Armenia”. He accused the current government of impermissible rhetoric and applying decisions that contradict the principles of the legal state.

In addition, Meloyan announced the unequal conditions for participation in the elections, noting that the leader of “Strong Armenia” Samvel Karapetyan cannot fully participate in the pre-election campaign. “In our case, the leader of our political force does not have the opportunity to participate in the campaign, because he is under house arrest and cannot leave the territory of the house. This creates unequal conditions for the election campaign,” he emphasized.

According to Meloyan, such circumstances have a negative impact on the perception of the fairness of the electoral process.

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There has been no response from Yerevan yet regarding Russia’s decision to limit the import of tomatoes from Armenia, said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian President.

“No, it didn’t happen,” Peskov told reporters, answering the question of whether there was a reaction from Armenia regarding Russia’s decision to limit the import of tomatoes.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko exchanged brief opinions on the situation surrounding Armenia within the framework of the EAEU leaders’ meeting in Astana, Russian President’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

“They talked several times during the meeting yesterday. There was a short exchange of opinions regarding Armenia, but there was no substantive conversation, there was simply no time,” Peskov told reporters, answering the question whether the topic of Armenia was raised in the talks between Putin and Lukashenko.

“But at the same time, during the informal lunch, they all had the opportunity to talk very well together, there was quite a long interaction,” he added.

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President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan participated in the event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Armenian Stock Exchange (AMX), during which he made an opening speech.

“I congratulate all of us on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Armenian Stock Exchange, AMX, one of the most important institutions of the Armenian stock market.

During the quarter of a century, the Armenian stock exchange has become one of the key platforms for the establishment of the financial system of Armenia, the development of the capital market and the formation of the investment culture.

This anniversary is not only an assessment of the past, but also an opportunity to rethink the important mission that the capital market has in shaping the economic future of our country.

Today’s world is changing rapidly. Economic competitiveness depends not only on the availability of financial resources, but also on their effective distribution, investment confidence and long-term development vision. In that context, the modern and development capital market becomes an important driver of economic growth.

Armenia’s economy today has a new quality development opportunity and vision. Macroeconomic stability, high level of economic activity and stability of the financial system have been preserved in our country in recent years. However, it is obvious that the further development of the economy requires new investment tools, new financial opportunities and more active involvement of internal resources in the economy.

In this regard, the role of the stock exchange is extremely important. Stock exchange is not only a trading platform. It is an environment of trust, transparency and long-term economic cooperation. It enables businesses to raise capital, investors to participate in the country’s economic development, and the state to build a more resilient and diverse economy.

I consider it particularly important that Armenia consistently develops an economy based on science, education and high technologies. An innovative environment is being formed in our country, where both global technology companies and fast-developing startups of Armenian origin are successfully operating. The continued development of this ecosystem also requires an accessible and efficient capital market capable of serving the demands of the innovation economy.

At the same time, Armenia continues to emphasize the agenda of regional cooperation, infrastructure development and long-lasting peace.

We are confident that a peaceful, predictable and interconnected region will open up new opportunities for investment, trade and economic integration. In this way, the development of financial markets is of key importance.

Dear partners, the 25th anniversary of AMX is a good opportunity to thank all those who have contributed to the formation and development of the Armenian capital market over the years: regulatory bodies, participating organizations, investors, international partners and, of course, the entire team of the exchange.

I am confident that the stock exchange will continue its important mission in the coming years, becoming a more competitive, technological and regional financial platform.

Once again, I congratulate everyone on this significant anniversary. I wish for new successes, effective cooperation and continuous development”

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Restricting the access of Armenian products, from fruits and vegetables to flowers and mineral water, to the Russian market, the Armenian economy is facing serious challenges.

Former Minister of Finance, economist Vardan Aramyan analyzed the depth of these problems, the risks of hasty decisions and the real prospects of alternative markets.

The “delayed” impact and hit to business

Assessing the scale of the consequences of Russian restrictions, Vardan Aramyan calls to pay attention first of all to the speed of the application of restrictions and their inclusion. The economy reacts to such shocks not instantly, but with a certain time gap (lag).

“It’s another thing when you do it gradually… then the situation becomes more manageable. But when this happens too quickly, serious problems can occur. The economy is an organism, months will pass and we will understand its real impact at least after three to six months.”

Aramyan emphasizes that not only macroeconomic indicators will suffer (where dependence on the Russian Federation is estimated at billions of dollars, including re-export), but also specific enterprises. The crisis chain for business looks like this:

1. Liquidity deficit. Businesses are unable to sell their products and face the problem of lack of cash.

2. Solvency crisis. Problems arise in connection with repayment of credit obligations.

3. Chain reaction. The reduction in production affects related sectors, including agricultural purchases and tax payments to the budget.

Homework first, then diversification

Aramyan supports the idea of ​​searching for new markets, but strongly criticizes the current methods of its implementation. In his opinion, diversification should be the result of planned work, not political demarches.

“You won’t find a single economist who says diversification is a bad thing. […] But what is the problem? First we slap the source from which we are fed and then we think about the consequences. This is a fundamentally wrong approach. First, you have to do your own “homework”, then think about how to get out little by little.”

The economist gives a household example. “Before entering into a conflict with an employer, a prudent person first raises his qualifications, sends out resumes and finds backup options.”

Besides, entering new markets is objectively difficult. Referring to Professor Pankaj Gemawat’s Economic Model of Distances (CAGE), Aramyan notes that trade barriers are measured not only in kilometers. Due to the cultural, administrative and economic proximity, the real trade distance with Russia (conventionally less than 1600 km) is much shorter for Armenian business than, for example, in the case of UAE or EU countries, where there are strong institutional and cultural barriers.

Turkish market risks

Observing Turkey (with which Armenia is in the process of normalizing relations) as a potential alternative, the economist notes that the opening of borders is an objectively positive phenomenon. However, this process contains serious challenges for the Armenian producer.

“When we open the borders, the process must be manageable. We need to understand the capacity of the infrastructure… But most importantly, Turkish products will also enter our market, and we have to take that into account.”

According to the expert, Turkish products (especially agricultural products) can be more competitive. “Therefore, Armenia needs a clear set of tools to protect its own farmers, especially since the agrarian sector is subsidized all over the world. One should not forget about the political conjuncture. Any action of Ankara is inextricably linked to the interests of Baku,” he clarifies.

The inadmissibility of dependence on Azerbaijan

The expert pays special attention to Armenia’s energy dependence on foreign suppliers, primarily Russia, because the country does not have its own reserves. As for the hypothetical possibility of buying energy carriers from Azerbaijan, Vardan Aramyan is very categorical in this matter.

“I am categorically against the idea of ​​importing gas from Azerbaijan in general. It is the same as putting your head under the executioner’s sword. You are handing over all your independence, including energy independence, to a country that declares: “Armenia is Western Azerbaijan.” I can’t imagine a greater stupidity in my life.”

Aramyan is convinced that normal commercial relations cannot precede political settlement. Trade should follow the political tolerance of societies, not the other way around.

“One must be realistic and not indulge in illusions. You can’t put the whole burden on the shoulders of business and society, and only then think about how we will overcome the situation.”

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