Author: Mary Lazarian

Book: Villanova Political Science Professor’s New Book Examines the Politics of Memory in Turkey and Japan

Mary Lazarian
Targeted News Service
Wednesday 6:51 AM EST
Villanova Political Science Professor’s New Book Examines the Politics of Memory in Turkey and Japan
 
VILLANOVA, Pennsylvania
 
Villanova University issued the following news release:
 
Many countries have dark pasts, ranging from colonialism and slavery to ethnic cleansing, genocide and mass killing. Some have tried to come to terms with their histories by taking steps toward acknowledgment, apology and commemoration. In other cases, however, perpetrators stay silent, denying and rationalizing atrocities in their pasts.
 
Intrigued by variations in whether and how states deal with skeletons in their closets, Jennifer Dixon, PhD, Assistant Professor of Political Science, investigates how and when states’ stories about past atrocities change over time. Focusing on Turkey’s narrative of the Armenian Genocide and Japan’s narrative of the Nanjing Massacre, she set out to understand when and why countries change the stories that they construct about past atrocities. Her analysis is laid out in her new book, Dark Pasts: Changing the State’s Story in Turkey and Japan, which is published and available now from Cornell University Press.
 
The Armenian Genocide took place in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917, against the backdrop of World War I. In the genocide, an estimated 800,000 to 1.5 million Ottoman Armenians were killed. The Nanjing Massacre occurred in the context of World War II, between late 1937 and early 1938, when an estimated 100,000-200,000 Chinese were killed by the Japanese army.
 
To conduct her analysis, Dixon looked at official speeches, statements, commemorative activities and publications, as well as government-approved history textbooks, over a 60-year period beginning in 1950. To identify and compare changes and continuities in each state’s narrative, she constructed a conceptual framework that includes the range of possible elements of a state’s narrative, from denying and silencing to commemorating and offering compensation. She then examined what was or was not said over time and used her framework to identify points of substantive change and periods of continuity in each state’s story.
 
The analysis revealed that, in spite of increasing calls for states (and others) to face their pasts, “Change is not simple, straightforward or immediate,” reports Dixon. Instead, states’ narratives of dark pasts exhibit strong continuities and change is contingent on interactions between a set of domestic and international political factors. One of the book’s central findings is that international pressure increases the likelihood of change, but domestic factors – such as electoral concerns and domestic activism – shape the content of change in states’ narratives. On the flipside, if government officials fear that greater acknowledgment might strengthen demands for territory, property, restitution, or reparations, then change in the direction of greater acknowledgment and contrition is less likely. Similarly, if a state’s narrative is connected to key national narratives, then officials are going to be reluctant to change the narrative, since to do so might destabilize elements of national identity.
 
Combining historical richness and analytical rigor, Dark Pasts unravels the complex processes through which international pressures and domestic dynamics shape states’ narratives and the ways that state actors negotiate between domestic and international demands in producing and maintaining such narratives. In so doing, the book sheds light on the persistent presence of the past and reveals how domestic politics functions as a filter that shapes the ways in which states’ narratives change – or don’t – over time.

Single mother forced to travel 100 miles with newborn baby to sign on with Home Office

Mary Lazarian
The Independent – Daily Edition
January 9, 2019 Wednesday
Mother has to travel nearly 100 miles with newborn to sign on with Home Office
 
by MAY BULMAN SOCIAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT
 
 
An asylum seeker woman has been forced to travel nearly 100 miles every month with her newborn baby in order to attend a routine meeting with the Home Office or face losing her allowance.
 
In a case that has been branded a “disgraceful” consequence of the hostile environment, the single mother from Armenia was at one point forced to breastfeed her child while crouched down on a crowded platform at Manchester Piccadilly station, according to a volunteer who accompanied her on the trip last month.
 
The woman, who has not been named to protect her identity, had been travelling from her asylum accommodation in Stoke-on-Trent to Dallas Courtin Salford in order to comply with immigration rules after her local reporting centre was closed last October.
 
She is one of hundreds of asylum seekers in Britain who are having to take long journeys to attend sign-on meetings after the Home Office closed a number of reporting centres in a bid to “effectively manage the reporting population” – in what was branded an expansion of the hostile environment policy.
 
The Independent revealed in November that asylum seekers in Stoke-on-Trent were having to spend up to three-quarters of their £37.75 weekly allowance on travelling to the reporting centre in Salford after the local immigration service closed. Immigration minister Caroline Nokes said there was no upper limit to the distance a person may be required to travel in order to attend their nearest reporting location.
 
Chris Lawler, who volunteers for Stoke-based refugee charity Sanctus St Mark’s, said he was “mortified and shamed” to accompany the Armenian mother on the round trip -which entailed two trains and a bus each way, at a cost of £32.80, which the charity paid for.
 
“The journey was very stressful indeed and very poignant, too. At one point she had to breastfeed her child on the crowded platform at Manchester Piccadilly,” he said. “There were no facilities whatsoever. I asked but was told waiting rooms had been removed. In the end, she had to crouch down and feed her baby like that. It was upsetting to see this young woman struggle with her baby, struggle with the cold and with the crowds looking on. How mean, how brutal and how humiliating? I was, appalled, frankly but I could do nothing to alleviate the situation.”
 
Responding to the young woman’s experience, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: “This is disgraceful and shows just how inhumane the Tories’ hostile environment is. The creation of these barriers are clearly causing distress and hardship to already vulnerable people trying to do the right thing.”
 
Reverend Sally Smith, who runs Sanctus St Mark’s, said that at the charity’s weekly drop-in providing assistance to asylum seekers, one of the most common worries for people was how they would afford to travel to their reporting sessions. While there is purportedly a reimbursement scheme, she said that most asylum seekers did not receive travel cost refunds, and that some were even instead told to save money out of their food allowance.
 
“The lack of concern for vulnerable individuals and families demonstrated by the Home Office is shocking and should not be tolerated in any civilised society,” she added. “The journey itself is difficult for people who have no English and are not familiar with the public transport changes. Once they arrive, queueing to get in can take several hours without shelter from the weather.”
 
Reverend Smith said a particularly shocking aspect of the young woman’s case was the fact that she was being forced to sign on with a five-week-old child, despite the fact that according to Home Office guidelines, women should not be required to sign for six weeks after giving birth. “Despite efforts to get her appointment changed, the Home Office insisted that she had to go on that day, and their reason was that they stipulate a six-week break from the due date rather than the actual delivery date,” she said.
 
Gareth Snell, Labour and Co-operative MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, who has contacted the Home Office about the woman’s situation, said: “This case demonstrates everything that I feared was the case when this first came up as an issue. Clearly the decision to move the reporting centre from Stoke is ridiculous. I can’t understand why anyone would look at this new system and not notice that it deliberately and by design makes registering at the points where you’re asked to register more onerous and more expensive, and ask what is the possible benefit of adding all those extra hurdles into the system if not to dissuade people from doing it?”
 
Jude Hawes, manager of Stoke’s Citizens Advice Bureau, who has raised concerns about the long journeys before, said she was “horrified” that a vulnerable young woman and her baby were put at such risk. “This is one of many instances where people who are vulnerable, physically disabled or severely mentally unwell have been forced to try to make a journey which puts them at physical risk or pushes them into severe financial hardship,” she added. “Despite Home Office claims, it is crystal clear that no proper examination of the risks or impact on individuals was undertaken before the unwise and irrational decision to close the local reporting centre was made.”
 
The Home Office has been approached for comment.

Completely burned down body of woman found in Yerevan apartment

Mary Lazarian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 9 2019
Completely burned down body of woman found in Yerevan apartment (PHOTOS) Completely burned down body of woman found in Yerevan apartment (PHOTOS)

14:29, 09.01.2019
                   

The completely burned dead body of a woman was discovered Wednesday, at an apartment in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan.

At around 10։55am, the 911 emergency hotline received a report that smoke was coming out of the apartment of a building in Yerevan, and firefighters were needed to find out what was causing this smoke.

According to shamshyan.com, a fire and rescue squad arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. Subsequently, it discovered on the living room floor the completely burned down feet of the proprietor of this apartment, and as well as a part of her hand and her head completely separated from her body.  

Several forensic examinations have been commissioned. 

An electric heater was found near the completely burned down body, and, according to preliminary information, this device was the cause of the fire.

Pashinyan did the right thing. Armenia is facing an important problem

Mary Lazarian
Pashinyan did the right thing. Armenia is facing an important problem

  • 12:54
  • 2018-12-24
  • Դիտումներ՝ 12751
  • DON’T LEAVE IT OPEN!
  • SPEECH
  • Author: Siranuysh Papyan

“First News”The interlocutor is Professor Ruben Inchikyan of Webster University of Geneva. Ruben Inchikyan, professor of economics and management, worked at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for about 30 years.

– Mr. Inchikyan, Former Prime Minister of Armenia Hrant Bagratyan believes that the economic situation will worsen in the coming months of 2019, the Central Bank should not stabilize the dram exchange rate. What does your analysis show?

– I agree with Hrant Bagratyan. He means that lowering the dram exchange rate will lead to the strengthening of Armenia’s export competition. There are always two sides. when states want to keep their dram exchange rate stable. This has an important component, firstly, so that foreign investors believe in the economic and political risks of that country, that if they establish a production in a country like Armenia, they will receive approximately the same amount of dollars for the costs of the produced drams. If the dram falls, then foreign investors may suffer losses. At the same time, the producers in Armenia, who have mainly dram expenses and can export and receive dram equivalent to the dollar, but here there is also the question of Russia, how the Russian ruble will move against the dollar. But if we analyze the trade in dollars, it can boost Armenia’s export potential to some extent. And in this sense, I agree with Bagratyan.

– How do you evaluate Armenia’s economic strategy? In general, how to promote production capital in Armenia? Nikol Pashinyan noted that a process of economic transformation is taking place in Armenia. The goal of the government is to make Armenia a technological industrial country. Is it possible?

– I fully share this position of Pashinyan. He talks about the diversification of the Armenian economy and wants to create new jobs with new, higher productivity and added value sectors of the economy. Of course, they should mainly produce not for the domestic market, but for the foreign market. Armenia should take advantage of its intermediate status and assume the role of a connecting country with post-Soviet and Western countries if they want to invest in Armenia and enter the EAEU market. And Armenia can create its production base, mainly by solving the issue of capital accumulation thanks to foreign investments, then produce and sell those goods and services to the EAEU, why not also to the countries of the Middle East. Armenia should play the role of such an important link that can connect several chains. In the same way, Armenia can play an important role in China’s and in the future India’s foreign investment, so that they too choose Armenia, a place that will be able to consolidate all the logistics of the development of the Silk Road through information technology, and thus help China’s Silk Road implementation process. Therefore, it is important to find opportunities to export what can be sold by creating information technologies, the Internet, information bases. In other words, to enter huge projects as a country providing an important service. And I think Pashinyan’s strategy is very correct. Along with that, of course, a program should be presented. And I think that will be the main problem of the new government. And congratulating the new government from the bottom of my heart, I suggest that they start thinking about the strategy of economic development and export potential, I would say, on the strategy of exponential growth from the very first days. And for that, the most difficult issue, the issue of capital accumulation, must be resolved.

– During the past seven months, the Prime Minister repeatedly called to come and invest in Armenia, because now the field in Armenia is favorable for investments. Do you think the field of investments will expand next year?

– The fact that Pashinyan offered to come and make investments, and also announced that our revolution did not cause economic shocks, was the right approach. Pashinyan did the right thing by holding quick elections. And it showed that Armenia is a democracy, although they say that Pashinyan and his team will make decisions alone, but I do not agree. Today there are three parties in the National Assembly. It is also wrong to say that the other two cannot be in the opposition, because they are separate parties and may not agree with the position of the My Step alliance. And if those two forces do not agree, and “My Step”, having a majority in the parliament, passes its decisions, in any case, the signals of the opposition will sober it up and they will think for a long time before making a new decision. There is an opposition in Armenia that can be constructive and help the ruling power. Having received the people’s trust, “My Step” and Pashinyan’s government as well, if they take steps to improve the political and economic situation and implement programs in the right way, it will be an important incentive for investors to come and invest in Armenia. During seven months, Pashinyan did not have such a political base as he has after the elections. And now no political force can stop him if he organizes well and can use all the specialists in the right way. I would put an old but literate specialist next to a newly revolutionary, but not yet fully trained young specialist. I see on Facebook that there are professionals who work in a serious organization, but instead of giving professional advice, they go beyond that framework and make various criticisms, which is quite unpleasant. Our educated elite should become more patriotic and not selfish and should be able to unite around the idea of ​​the country’s development and not to show themselves.

Armenia faces an important problem: the problem of capital accumulation. It is necessary to find important directions for accumulation of production capital, development and growth of new productions. First, Pashinyan’s government should create a truly development state, where institutions will work well, guide foreign investors and create mechanisms based on information technology, say, a single window system, a system for establishing a fast business, a system for supporting foreign investors. These institutions will provide answers to all the questions that concern them and create an environment of legal protection where they will be able to protect their rights while working with local partners. Our Armenian entrepreneurs will also understand that the courts in the new Armenia will be completely independent and will make a fair decision if there is a dispute between partners. This will be a signal for foreign investors that they can come and open productions. And Armenians working in many international companies can also attract the attention of their companies that they can come to invest in Armenia, which in turn will be an incentive for increasing the volume of direct investments. As for portfolio investments, they have the property that they can both enter and leave the country quickly. Capital is flowing out of many developing countries these days. And representatives of such speculative capital, playing on the difference between interest and income, make money. And if the interest rate in Armenia is high and the Central Bank protects the dram, it means that a foreign portfolio investor can enter Armenian securities, earn interest and hope that the exchange rate of the dram and the dollar will remain the same, and then exit. And the so-called hot money comes in as easily as it comes out and may not be very positive for the development of the country. And so the government should give a clear signal that it is waiting for long-term investments, to develop the production base, so that the country can profit more with its products and finally reach the point where Armenia’s exports are greater than its imports. This should be one of the priority tasks of the government, so that Armenia does not depend on the financial assistance of friends living abroad in the future.

And finally, it is necessary to apply the experience of the active industrial policy of Southeast Asian countries in supporting exporting companies. The state here accelerated the process of capital accumulation by allowing companies that channeled their earnings into new investments and exports to receive major benefits, exempting a portion of that income from taxes, allowing exporting companies to import machinery and other equipment without paying import duties, and giving these companies the opportunity to obtain loans at lower interest rates if the products were exported.

Armenian media, experts mull Putin’s remarks

Mary Lazarian
BBC Monitoring Trans Caucasus Unit
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring
Monday
Armenian media, experts mull Putin’s remarks
 
 
By BBC Monitoring
 
Armenian media outlets and pundits have weighed in on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest statements about bilateral relations with Yerevan.
 
Putin called Armenia one of Russia’s “closest ally” and praised the two countries’ “smooth relations” during his annual marathon press conference on 20 December. He underscored that there are no major problems that need to be resolved between the two countries. Putin also noted that the strong bilateral relations that were established by previous leaders should continue to develop.
 
Putin also said he will discuss the ties during the visit of acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Moscow next week.
 
‘New-generation relationship’
 
Putin’s comments ushered in a “new-generation relationship” between the two countries despite the fact that the Russian leader had not congratulated Pashinyan on his bloc’s victory in the 9 December parliamentary election, Lragir.am website said.
 
“This is what the Russian president is interested in now, and not [in formation of a new] Armenian parliament. That is to say, [he is interested in] what the first leader of the new generation, Pashinyan, is ready for, and what curve in the Armenian-Russian relations can be expected now and in future,” the website said.
 
Though Putin made it clear that he would not tolerate any radical changes in relations with Armenia, he expressed readiness to take into consideration “the new global and regional realities”, the website said.
 
‘Conventional starting point’
 
Armenian pundits also noted Putin’s statement that he will meet with Pashinyan in Moscow the following week.
 
Zhamanak paper described the expected Putin-Pashinyan meeting as a “conventional starting point” for the two leaders to transform bilateral relations.
 
The newspaper opined that Putin, when he mentioned “new” realties, he was signalling that Moscow was ready to take into consideration the arguments presented by the new Armenian government.
 
“The main issue, basically, refers to the boundaries of a compromise between Yerevan and Moscow in this issue. On the other hand, it is beyond doubt that there is no option but to transform relations, and this is accepted by the Russian president when he speaks about new realities. The issue is how does each side view this transformation,” the paper said.
 
‘First real test’
 
Zhoghovurd paper linked the upcoming Pashinyan-Putin meeting to negotiations on the gas price,noting the fact that the agreement on the Russian gas supplies to Armenia expires on 31 December.
 
“The gas price is the first real test, and based on the outcome, it will become clear in practice how solid the Armenian-Russian relations are,” the paper said.
 
Sputnik Armenia website also noted that Putin and Pashinyan are most likely to discuss the gas price.
 
Expert in energy security Vahe Davtyan told the website that it is “hardly probable” that the gas price will be reconsidered.
 
Davtyan said there was a hope “to smooth over the problems” during the Moscow meeting also in relation to the gas price, noting that Putin’s rhetoric demonstrated that there are “points of contact” in the gas issue.
 
Needing each other
 
Political expert Yervand Bozoyan expressed conviction that the current difficulties in bilateral relations would eventually be eliminated between the allies.
 
“Yes, there is some negative background in the Armenian-Russian relations. But it takes time for the sides to eliminate these rough edges. … Both Moscow and Yerevan understand that they need each other. And this understanding will dominate the talks between the leaders,” Bozoyan was quoted as saying by Sputnik Armenia.
 
The website said that the current Armenian authorities’ strategy is not quite understandable for Russia. Despite this, Russia is trying to find the “golden mean” to build a dialogue with Yerevan, realising that Armenia is its strategic partner, the website said.

New image Ani Lorak compared with the goddess

Mary Lazarian

By

 paradox

 –

23.12.2018

12

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The singer admired Frank the.

Known Ukrainian singer Ani Lorak (real name Carolina KUEK), which recently officially announced the divorce with Murat Nalchajian, published a truly stunning picture. The artist is depicted in the image of Oriental goddess. The image subtly emphasizes the artificial rain and elegant decoration. Photograph published in the artist profile in Instagram.

The artist did not sign the picture, just put “heart”.

Fans literally pounced on Lorak with excited comments. Literally every compared the appearance of the singer with the goddess, and in fact, she looks amazing.

“Unusual photo, like the Earth goddess. Very nice,” “Beautiful, rich, gorgeous, charming. You are such a great talent, so real and very beautiful”, “Cleopatra”, “Divine!”, “Class! Fascinating shot, like a mermaid from a fairy tale!”, “Beautiful, no words”, “Masterpiece”, “Excellent!”, “Brilliant as Mata Hari, dancer)))”, – write fans.

Azerbaijani press: Erdogan: Turkey really worried about unresolved conflicts in S.Caucasus

Mary Lazarian
17:38 (UTC+04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 21

By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:

Turkey is highly worried about the unresolved conflicts in the South Caucasus, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Trend reports via Turkish media.

Erdogan noted that Turkey is in favor of solving all military conflicts in the region, as well as the South Caucasus, since these conflicts have a negative impact on Turkey.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

—

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu


Armenia "turned down offer to buy Belarusian Polonez systems"

Mary Lazarian
Defence Monitor Worldwide
Saturday
Armenia “turned down offer to buy Belarusian Polonez systems”
 
 
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has reveals that he offered Armenia to buy Belarusian Polonez missile systems – which Minsk also supplies to Baku – but Armenia turned down the proposal.
 
He added that Armenia rejected the deal citing the fact that Yerevan has acquired Russian Iskander missile systems, RIA Novosti reports.
 
Yes, for me, Azerbaijanis are no strangers, but you should not blame us for selling arms to Azerbaijan.
 
According to Lukashenko, when the Belarusian side was testing the systems, they invited Armenians, Azerbaijanis and Russians to follow the process, Lukashenko added.
 
During the test, he said, the Azerbaijani side expressed a wish to purchase the weapon.
 
And we need to return the loan the Chinese have given us for [the project]. I then …. say (to Azerbaijan – Ed.): `Well, I will sell you the complex`, and I tell the Armenians (because I knew that there are going to be problems): `I am ready to supply you with a similar complex.` The Armenians refused, citing the fact that they have Russian Iskander systems,” Lukashenko said. 2018 Global Data Point.
 
 
 

“Committed to our values and principles” – Lusavor Hayastan Party on being next opposition

Mary Lazarian

“Committed to our values and principles” – Lusavor Hayastan Party on being next opposition

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14:56,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Lusavor Hayastan (Luminous Armenia) Party has released a statement about the general election.

“The historic elections that took place in Armenia were the logical continuation of the country’s revolution, the main process of the capitalization of its values,” the party said.

“Lusavor Hayastan Party values the reality of organizing lawful elections, thanking the citizens that gave vote of confidence to our party. We consider this the public appreciation for our active three-year activity, proof that the Armenian society has an unconditional demand to build a truly liberal and European model state.

At the same time, the revolution ends with the December 9 elections and the country enters a phase of systematic and institutional reforms, where the parliament requires a counterbalance force having conceptual approaches.

The party said it is a civilizational and value-related opposition to the developed political majority.

“At the same time, we are concerned that even after the revolution major businesses and politics continue being a consequence of a chronically ill political system, the struggle against which will be one of the main priorities of our force”.

“We are committed to the values and principles adopted by Lusavor Armenia Party that are aimed at fulfilling systemic reforms and broad public consolidation around these values,” it added.

 

The Central Electoral Commission of Armenia has released the preliminary results from all 2010 polling stations in the country of the general election vote.

According to the CEC, caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s My Step Alliance has won a landslide victory with 70,43 % – with 884,456 votes.

The Republican Party of Armenia garnered only 4,70% – 59,059 votes.

Citizens Decision Social-Democratic Party received 0,68%, with 8530 votes.

Bargavatch Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) Party received 8,27%, with 103,824 votes.

The ARF, or the Dashnaktsutyun, garnered 3,89% with 48,811 votes.

Lusavor Hayastan (Luminous Armenia) Party got 6,37% – 80,024 votes.

2619 voters (0,50%) cast ballots for the Christian-People’s Rebirth Party.

The National Progress Party and the Menk (We) Alliance garnered 0,51% (6456 votes) and 2,00% (25,174) respectively.

Orinats Yerkir Party (Rule of Law) garnered 0,99% with 12,389 votes, and the Sasna Tsrer Pan-Armenian Party got 1,82% with 22,862 votes.

According to preliminary information the turnout was 48.63%.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




In one year we will have a more united union. Pashinyan accepted the EAEU presidency

Mary Lazarian
  • 06.12.2018

    •  

  • Armenia:

    •  

  • arm

1
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Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is on a working visit to the Russian Federation, participated in the regular session of the Eurasian Higher Economic Council in Saint Petersburg. The event was also attended by the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbai Jeenbekov, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. Tigran Sargsyan, chairman of the board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, was present at the meeting.


First, the session of the Supreme Economic Council of the EAEU was held with a narrow and then with an expanded composition.


The participants of the Council summarized the annual activities of the Eurasian Economic Union during the presidency of the Russian Federation, highlighted the key areas of further deepening of Eurasian integration, such as trade, energy, digital agenda. 

In particular, reference was made to the removal of obstacles and restrictions, the creation of a single market for goods and services, the provision of conditions for the free movement of capital and labor, the approximation of financial and monetary policies of EAEU member states and the creation of a single financial market in the future, as well as the implementation of the Union’s digital agenda, the creation of a common oil products market.


The leaders of EAEU member states also considered current and organizational issues of the organization’s activities.


A decision was made to transfer the EAEU presidency to Armenia in 2019.


In his speech, Nikol Pashinyan, in particular, noted:


“Dear members of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council,
Dear participants of the session,


Let me welcome all the participants of today’s meeting and thank the Russian side for the excellent organization of our meeting and the traditional warm and hospitable reception we received here in St. Petersburg.


Dear colleagues,


Membership in the Eurasian Economic Union is one of the priorities of our government. Trade and economic cooperation with EAEU countries is becoming one of the most important positive factors affecting the country’s economic growth and foreign trade potential.


So, in 2018 In the first 10 months of 2017, the increase in trade turnover between Armenia and the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. compared to the same period was 15 percent. During the same period, the volume of exports to EAEU countries increased by more than 22 percent, and the volume of total exports of Armenia increased by 11.7 percent. The share of EAEU countries in the total export structure of Armenia is also increasing.


These facts, I think, testify not only to the favorable conjuncture created for our products in the EAEU markets, but also to the effectiveness of the free trade instruments operating within our Union.


Armenia is interested in the further deepening of integration processes in EAEU. We are ready to make every effort to improve integration institutions and find new ways and mechanisms of cooperation. In this context, I would like to note that Armenia welcomes the “Declaration on further deepening of integration processes” and supports the provisions of that document, which define the philosophy of our cooperation and the main directions of its development.


We are convinced that the integration of our countries should ultimately serve to create a comfortable environment for business and the full realization of human potential. If we can achieve visible results in this matter, a number of businessmen and individuals will appear who will be interested in deepening the integration. Integration will become irreversible if the citizens of the countries see concrete results.


Dear colleagues,


The Armenian government aims to develop the technological sectors of the economy. Information technology is the fastest growing sector of our economy and is a potential competitive advantage for our country. In this regard, the digital agenda of the Eurasian Economic Union is of particular interest to us. It is fully in line with our priorities and we are interested in its full implementation.


Armenia attaches particular importance to the diversification of foreign economic relations. We fully support the 2019 EATM. major areas of international activity’ and efforts to expand the geography of free trade agreements. We consider cooperation with the European Union as a priority, as well as with the countries that are our direct trade partners. Armenia is ready to become an effective platform for the development of trade and economic relations with Iran. We are also ready to play an active role in the negotiations on a free trade agreement with Egypt.
We are interested in the agreements with Iran and China entering into force as soon as possible. The Government of Armenia is completing the internal procedure to ratify these documents, and soon, after the parliamentary elections, they will submit them for the approval of the National Assembly of the country.


Dear colleagues,


Today, changes are taking place in Armenia, which, in fact, affect all spheres of our society’s life. As you know, extraordinary parliamentary elections will be held in our country in three days. I can confidently say that today in Armenia there are all the conditions necessary for holding the most open, free and fair elections held in our country in the last quarter of a century. All conditions have been created for the free expression of the will of our people.


The new parliament will give the people of Armenia the opportunity to form a government whose activities will be aimed at achieving results in priority directions for the society as soon as possible, in particular, in the fight against corruption, strengthening the rule of law and creating equal conditions for all entities operating in the economic and political spheres.


Finally, I would like to address the issue of Armenia’s representation in the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council. Guided by the principles of a constructive approach to our partnership relations and the activities of our union, we do not insist on immediately discussing this issue and making an appropriate decision. However, this is a sensitive issue for us and we would like to leave it on the general agenda of our discussions to find a mutually beneficial solution for all of us.

And, finishing my speech, I want to assure you that Armenia is ready to accept the chairmanship of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and is happy to host one of the meetings of the Council. We will make every effort to successfully solve this important and responsible problem. I hope that in a year we will have a more united union that will serve the interests of our economies, states and peoples.”