168TV’s “Zara Has a Question” the guest of the program Economist Nairi Sargsyan is the head of the “Armenia is me” initiative. The initiative has announced that it will join forces with “Strong Armenia” led by Samvel Karapetyan in the upcoming elections.

A few points of Nairi Sargsyan’s conversation in one shot․

• What does Nikol Pashinyan say?՛and we should focus on its diametric opposite. Pashinyan is too small a figure to talk about the opening of borders․ he is not a decision-maker, he is only a follower and carries out assignments. And the opening of the borders by Turkey does not create any positive opportunities for Armenia yet.

• Nikol Pashinyan, I invite you, the ministers of your economic bloc, your deputies to the debate, come to the debate. They are lying․ let them say just one product or service is exportable. Moreover, Turkey will become an actor in the matter of raising the limits of import duties from 3rd countries in Armenia. It’s just that we have been lucky in a certain sense, in the sense that we are part of the Eurasian Economic Union, and we do not decide the customs duties alone. The EAEU is determined by laws, regulations and agreements. Therefore, Turkey is still not able to interfere much in the internal life of Armenia.

• If the borders were suddenly opened, Turkish goods flooded the Armenian market, Turkish investments flowed into Armenia… a good future does not await us, but we must also repeat for the sake of justice that, yes, one day we must open the border of Turkey, we must open it after doing our homework, we must be ready for shocks, be ready to face it, after that, please, let us open it.

• Cargo can enter from Kazakhstan through the territory of Azerbaijan, exit to the territory of Georgia, and then to Armenia. This is not a manifestation of goodwill on the part of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan makes money, Georgia makes money, Kazakhstan makes money, Armenian businessman makes money. Nikol Pashinyan is simply boasting, these are lies.

• In terms of fuel, Azerbaijan has no potential. even the demand for domestic consumption is not enough to export a single item to Armenia… 

• Which fuel do we bring to Armenia, Russian, why can’t we bring it directly from Russia, besides, Armenia has quota agreements with Russia in terms of fuel, the price of the release is sold to Armenia at domestic consumption prices. In other words, these are such magics that are revealed immediately, Azerbaijan cannot supply fuel to Armenia, it is not its own.

• Energy cooperation means closing the nuclear power plant, Armenia’s energy dependence on Turkey. Turkey has been complaining about the existence of the Nuclear Power Plant in Armenia for years, considers it a danger and a threat to itself and is simultaneously building a new nuclear power plant with the Russians, the “Akkuyu” nuclear power plant. You see Nikol Pashinyan’s hysterical statements that we need to replace or re-equip the nuclear power plant, etc… they are just packaging to make our society believe. In reality, 32% of Armenia’s energy demand is produced by the nuclear power plant. The cheapest electricity is produced by the nuclear power plant, but they want to close the nuclear power plant and import the deficit from Turkey.

• Inflation of essential goods was approximately 40%. the pension has decreased and not increased in Armenia.

• Health insurance is just a disgrace. Our compatriots are excited, it’s normal, it’s objective, because they’ve had illnesses for years, many of them couldn’t go to medical institutions. But do you know how it is happening now? So, when we talk, we say that the allocated budget will be enough until the elections, after that we will face big problems, it was not enough. Additional money was allocated from the government’s reserve fund, additional debt was raised, until June 7 it will still be raised, after June 7 its fate is unknown… 

• At whose expense? And 320 billion drams only the increase in the interest of the state debt, which could increase the pension of each pensioner by 50,000 drams. In other words, it happened that the pensioner was cheated.

Details in the video.

—