Abramyan admits suffering heavy losses in Libya

ITAR-TASS, Russia
October 12, 2012 Friday 07:19 PM GMT+4

Abramyan admits suffering heavy losses in Libya

YEREVAN October 12

Ara Abramyan, a well-known Russian entrepreneur and public figure,
admits suffering great losses because of the Libyan crisis.

“For the past eight years I have invested hundreds of millions, over
one billion dollars, in Libya,” Abramyan told a news conference on
Friday. The businessman heads the Union of Armenians in Russia public
organization and the World Armenian Congress, an international union
of Armenian public organizations.

“I’ve lost my business in Libya, I’ve lost huge sums of money but I
hope to return what I’ve lost. At the moment, all investments are
frozen and there’s no return,” Abramyan said. He added that he had
good relations with all political forces in Libya, including its late
leader Muammar Gaddafi, who knew about the Armenians. Abramyan had
even wanted to invite Colonel Gaddafi to pay a visit to Armenia.

“I was and I am still is a friend of the Libyan people. I hope that I
will manage to continue the work which I’ve started in that country,”
Abramyan said.

“Libya has difficulties but it doesn’t mean that a disaster has
happened. Everything can be nice only in a fairy-tale,” Abramyan
clarified. He’s flatly denied allegations that he was broke.

“This is not true,” he said.

“I work with many banks. All of them, including banks in Armenia,
demanded that I return all the sums I owed them overnight after
negative publications about me appeared in the media.

“Today, there’s not a single person whom me or companies that belong
to me owe at least one dollar,” the businessman stressed.

Ara Abramyan urged the media to be balanced in its assessments and not
to write only negative articles.

“One shouldn’t criticize with an aim to destroy, it’s necessary to
criticize with an aim to improve,” Abramyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress