Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

                                        Wednesday, 
EU-Armenia Accord 'Not Directed Against Any Third Party'
 . Harry Tamrazian
Armenia - Ambassador Piotr Switalski, the head of the EU Delegation in
Armenia, speaks in Yerevan, 4Jul2017.
A landmark agreement aimed at deepening Armenia's political and
economic ties with the European Union could also benefit Russia, a
senior EU diplomat said on Wednesday.
In an interview with RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am), Piotr
Switalski, head of the EU Delegation in Yerevan, insisted that the
Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed on
November 24 is "not directed against any third party."
"The agreement doesn't contain any provisions which would undermine or
influence negatively the interests of other countries that cooperate
with Armenia," Switalski said when asked about Russian reactions to
the CEPA. "I can say even more openly: we do not want to monopolize
the benefits stemming from the implementation of this agreement."
"We believe that if this agreement is implemented, if Armenia has
stronger democracy, better rule of law, good and strong courts, a
predictable and fair business environment, equitable conditions for
conducting business in fields like energy, transport and so on, other
partners of Armenia can only benefit from it," he said.
"So I believe that indeed the official comments from other countries,
including Russia, that this agreement is good for Armenia # are
logical conclusions stemming from the agreement," added the envoy.
A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said last week that Moscow
"respects" Yerevan's desire to forge closer ties with the EU. Russia's
ambassador in Yerevan, Ivan Volynkin, likewise said CEPA provisions do
not run counter to Armenia's membership in the Russian-led Eurasian
Economic Union (EEU).
The official Russian reaction has contrasted with criticism voiced by
some Russian commentators loyal to the Kremlin. In remarks aired by
state-run Russian TV channels in recent days, they have claimed that
the deal with the EU undermined Armenia's military and political
alliance with Russia.
Visiting Yerevan earlier this week, a senior representative of
President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party reportedly assured
Armenian leaders that such comments do not reflect Moscow's position
on the issue.
Watchdog Skeptical About Sarkisian's Anti-Graft Move
 . Karlen Aslanian
Armenia - Varuzhan Hoktanian of the Armenian branch of Transparency
International at a news conference in Yerevan, 15Mar2017.
Armenia's leading anti-graft watchdog reacted with skepticism on
Wednesday to a tougher fight against bribery and other corrupt
practices ordered by President Serzh Sarkisian.
Sarkisian issued the order on Tuesday when he met with the leadership
of the Special Investigative Service (SIS), a law-enforcement body
tasked with combatting abuse of power by various state official. "For
us, the fight against corruption is a matter of national security
which simply has no alternative," he said in a speech.
"It's not the first time that I'm hearing that," said Varuzhan
Hoktanian, the director of programs at the Anti-Corruption Center
(ACC), the Armenian affiliate of Transparency International. "That has
been said periodically and is repeated now. Serzh Sarkisian has
repeatedly said such things since [taking office in] 2008."
"So I don't see a fundamentally new anti-corruption policy here,"
Hoktanian told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
Armenia ranked, together with Bolivia and Vietnam, 113th out of 176
countries evaluated in Transparency International's most recent
Corruption Perceptions Index released in January.
Prime Minister Karen Karapetian has repeatedly pledged to tackle
corruption and boost the rule of law in the country since he was named
by Sarkisian to run the Armenian government in September last year. He
has periodically discussed his reform agenda with Western diplomats in
Yerevan. Karapetian's most recent meeting with the U.S. Ambassador
Richard Mills held on October 20 reportedly focused on his
government's anti-corruption efforts.
In a February speech, Mills urged the authorities in Yerevan to send a
"clear message from on high that corruption will not be tolerated and
that no one is above the law."
Parliament Panel Defends Armenia's Membership In Eurasian Union
 . Astghik Bedevian
Armenia -- A session of the Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs in
Yerevan, 29Nov2017
The Armenian parliament committee on foreign relations on Wednesday
formally objected to the opposition Yelk alliance's calls for
Armenia's withdrawal from the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union
(EEU).
A parliamentary declaration drafted by the pro-Western alliance says
that membership in the EEU, effective from January 2015, has hurt the
country's economy and security. The document was rejected by the
ruling Republican Party (HHK) and the two other parties represented in
the National Assembly when it was first circulated in September.
Nevertheless, Yelk continued to press for a full-fledged parliamentary
debate on the issue. The parliament committee, dominated by
pro-government lawmakers, discussed and overwhelmingly voted to give a
negative assessment of the Yelk motion.
"This issue will not be on Armenia's political agenda as long the
Republican Party (HHK) and its coalition partner [Dashnaktsutyun] are
in power. Namely, at least until 2022," Armen Ashotian, the committee
chairman, said just before the vote.
Ashotian insisted that membership in the EEU stems from Armenia's
national interests even if it has not yet lived up to the country's
economic expectations. An exit from the bloc would only harm the
country, he said.
For their part, Yelk lawmakers reiterated their arguments against EEU
membership. One of them, Edmon Marukian, claimed that the Armenian
economy has not only not benefited from it but will also suffer from
higher uniform import duties of EEU member states.
Marukian said that Yerevan should not only leave the trade bloc of
five ex-Soviet states but also seek an Association Agreement with the
European Union. In that regard, another Yelk leader, Nikol Pashinian,
downplayed the significance of a less far-reaching accord which
Armenia signed with the EU last week.
Armen Rustamian, a Dashnaktsutyun leader, disagreed, saying that
Armenia can capitalize on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership
Agreement (CEPA). "There has emerged a new situation where Armenia can
use opportunities and gain new resources for development," he said.
President Sarkisian and members of his government have repeatedly said
that Armenia's economy has benefited from the EEU membership. In
particular, they have cited double-digit increases in Armenian exports
to Russia recorded in 2016 and so far this year.
Yelk holds 9 seats in the 105-member National Assembly. Marukian
admitted that the parliament committee vote means it will most
probably fail to include the issue on the National Assembly agenda
next week.
Press Review
"Zhoghovurd" scoffs at President Serzh Sarkisian's latest demands for
law-enforcement authorities to fight against corruption in
Armenia. The paper links them to Armenia's newly signed Comprehensive
and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the European Union. "It
is not the first time that Serzh Sarkisian speaks of the fight against
corruption," it says. "During the almost ten years of his presidency
he has made statements every year about fighting against corruption
and giving new impetus to that fight. His speeches on this subject
have often resembled speeches of radical opposition leaders. But the
situation has not changed."
"Zhamanak" also sees a link between the CEPA and Sarkisian's remarks
that were made at a meeting with the leadership of Armenia's Special
Investigative Service (SIS). "On one hand, Sarkisian is trying to show
foreign partners and the European Union in particular that he is
serious about fulfilling commitments which he assumed through the
agreement with the EU," comments the paper. "On the other hand, he is
trying to show the strength of his domestic positions."
"Hayots Ashkhar" says that the Armenia-EU deal has triggered heated
debates among commentators and political analysts in Russia. "Adding
to tensions in those discussions is the fact they have led to
anti-Armenian propaganda by the Azerbaijani lobby that has grown
entrenched in Russia," writes the paper. It says that "lobby" is
portraying Armenia's European integration drive as an anti-Russian
policy. "Anti-Western sentiment among many Russians has deep roots,"
it says. "This is why everything coming from the West is often seen as
being part of a global conspiracy against their country."
"Hraparak" says that President Sarkisian still keeps the political
class, the media and the public guessing about his political
future. "Even his inner circle is said to be uninformed about the
course of his thinking," says the paper. "One thing is clear: there is
a ruling majority in the country and it will be making a decision. It
is also clear to all of us that in reality that majority will not
decide anything. The majority has a leader who is unconditionally
accepted by it and whose decisions are not negotiable for that force."
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

                                        Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Armenian Textbook Fees Challenged In Court
November 8, 2017
 . Anush Muradian
Armenia - High school students in Yerevan pass graduation exams,
6Jun2017.
The state human rights ombudsman, Arman Tatoyan, has asked Armenia's
highest court to stop the government from charging the parents of
public school students for textbooks provided to them.
In a 16-page appeal to the Constitutional Court filed this month,
Tatoyan challenged a clause in an Armenian law on education
stipulating that only primary school students aged 9 and younger can
use textbooks free of charge. He said it runs counter to the country's
constitution which guarantees free secondary education in "state
educational institutions."
"In our view, we have an unconstitutional provision here," Tatoyan
told a public discussion in Yerevan. "Our constitution is very clear
and does not provide for any rules # on this issue."
In his appeal, the ombudsman also pointed to the cost of textbook rent
fees which has steadily increased in recent years, saying that many
parents have trouble paying them. He said that existing government
arrangements meant to exempt low-income families from such payments
are fuzzy and open to different interpretations.
"Practical research and our interviews show that often times parents
don't speak up about the difficulty of paying for textbooks out of
shame or a desire to spare their children stigmas," he claimed.
Lusine Bilian is a mother of two schoolchildren who receives poverty
benefits from the state. She said that the administration of a Yerevan
school where the children study notified her recently that she will
have to pay half the cost of their textbooks for this academic
year. Bilian estimated it at between 3,500 and 4,000 drams ($7-8).
"I don't know how I'm going to pay that," she told RFE/RL's Armenian
service (Azatutyun.am).
The Armenian Education Ministry has not yet officially reacted to the
legal action.
Armenian Military Wants To End Conditional Amnesty For Draft Evaders
November 8, 2017
 . Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Soldiers are lined up at an Armenian military base,
21Oct2014.
Pro-government lawmakers publicly criticized on Wednesday a Defense
Ministry proposal to abolish a law allowing Armenian men who illegally
evaded compulsory military service to buy a government amnesty.
Under the law enacted in 2004, they can avoid criminal prosecution in
exchange for a hefty fee depending on the number of years they have
spent on the run. The maximum fine was set at 1.8 million drams
($3,750) per person.
The amnesty-for-cash scheme was originally applicable only to those
fugitive men who were aged 27 or older by June 2004. This age
threshold has been repeatedly raised since then.
The parliamentary factions of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia
(HHK) and all other political groups represented in the National
Assembly are now seeking another extension that would apply to male
citizens who have turned 27 before December 1, 2017.
The Armenian Defense Ministry has put forward an amendment to their
joint bill stipulating that there will be no further extensions of the
scheme. It also wants to drastically raise the legal cost of the final
amnesty to 9 million drams.
Lawmakers affiliated with the HHK rejected the amendment at a meeting
of the Armenian parliament committee on defense and security. Among
them was the committee chairman, Koryun Nahapetian.
Armenia -- Koryun Nahapetian chairs a meeting of the parliament
committee on defense and security, 8Nov2017.
"Our goal must be to help our compatriots who evaded military service
because they moved abroad with their families at a very young age and
now live there to return to their homeland, not to create additional
obstacles," said Nahapetian.
He argued that between 700 and 800 draft dodgers have been granted
such amnesty annually since 2004. The Defense Ministry has received a
total of 8 billion drams ($17 million) as a result, he
said. Nahapetian also revealed that almost 9,500 other men remain on
the run on draft evasion charges.
"What do we want to do? To throw those people into prison?" said
another HHK lawmaker, Felix Tsolakian.
Tsolakian also protested against the much higher amnesty fee demanded
by the ministry. "Armenians returning from Russia come back because
they don't have money. They didn't succeed there," he reasoned.
Deputy Defense Minister Artak Zakarian insisted, however, that keeping
the conditional amnesty would only encourage more draft evasion. "We
very much want our citizens to come back but at the same time we must
not keep that door open for others to flee," said Zakarian, who is
also affiliated with the HHK.
The parliament committee will again meet on Friday to formulate its
final position on the measure that has been personally advocated by
Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian.
Minister Meets Protesting Students, Rejects Their Demands
November 8, 2017
 . Marine Khachatrian
Armenia - Education Minister Levon Mkrtchian (R) meets with
representatives of students protesting against government plans to
scrap draft deferments, 8Nov2017.
The Armenian government will not refrain from essentially abolishing
temporary exemptions from compulsory military service, Education
Minister Levon Mkrtchian told on Wednesday university students
protesting against the planned measure.
Mkrtchian met with representatives of the students as they boycotted
classes for a second day in protest against a relevant government bill
passed by the Armenian parliament in the first reading.
Over 200 students rallied outside the main Yerevan State University
building and marched through the city center before the meeting.
"When it comes to serving the homeland, no citizen of the Republic of
Armenia will have privileges," Mkrtchian told several organizers of
the continuing protests.
The minister repeated his arguments that over 85 percent of male
students of state-run universities are already drafted to the armed
forces at the age of 18 because they pay tuition fees unlike the other
students who study for free.
Armenia - Students demonstrate outside Yerevan State University,
8Nov2017.
The latter have until now been allowed to perform the two-year service
after completing their undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate
studies. Those obtaining doctoral degrees have been exempt from
military duty altogether.
The controversial bill drafted by the Defense Ministry would grant
deferments only to those students who would agree to undergo parallel
military training and serve in the army as officers for three years
after graduation. The protesting students say that without deferments
they would find it much harder to become scientists or scholars.
Mkrtchian dismissed such assertions, arguing that only a small
percentage of Armenian students temporarily or permanently exempt from
conscription have pursued academic or scientific careers. "There is
quite strong political support behind [the bill] # I don't think that
this bill is subject to withdrawal," he said.
The protest organizers made clear, meanwhile, that they will continue
the boycott until the government meets their demands which are backed
by some Armenian opposition leaders.
The protesters on Wednesday again tried unsuccessfully to enter YSU
premises and get more students to join their campaign. Entrance doors
of those buildings remained locked from inside, with the university
administration apparently seeking to contain the boycott.
At least one YSU professor, Karen Saghatelian, condemned the shutdown
and joined the protesters.
Press Review
November 8, 2017
"Haykakan Zhamanak" says that the controversial government initiative
to essentially abolish remaining military draft deferments for
university students in Armenia is raising "many questions." "For
instance, what will happen to those who dodge draft on bogus health
grounds?" the paper asks. It says that the government bill in question
"poses no threat to them" and that more draft dodgers will now turn to
health authorities, rather than universities.
Hovannes Tokmajian, the rector of a state college in Nagorno-Karabakh,
tells "Hraparak" that the bill contains "many positive things" and
that "the idea of draft deferment has been fairly discredited" due to
various corrupt practices. "At the same time, I'm really worried that
after serving [in the armed forces] for two years many young men will
not be able to continue their studies and that we could have a vacuum
here," he says.
"Zhoghovurd" questions Prime Minister Karen Karapetian's claim that
nearly half of $850 million in investments in Armenia's economy
promised by him were carried out in the first eight months of this
year. The paper argues that figures released by the National
Statistical Service (NSS) show that foreign direct investment (FDI) in
Armenia continued to decline in the first half of 2017. "And yet data
published by the government indicated a very strong growth," it
says. "This discrepancy has been quickly explained: the government has
used a totally different methodology to calculate its indicators."
"Zhamanak" says that even Transport and Communications Minister Vahan
Martirosian does not know whether an ambitious government project to
refurbish Armenia's key highways stretching from the Iranian to the
Georgian borders can be completed in the foreseeable future. "He says
that that the [North-South] road will be built but he too doesn't know
when," writes the paper.
"Aravot" says that the Armenian community in the United States has
been "spending huge resources and time" to get various U.S. states to
recognize the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey. "We are
proudly saying that the 48th state (Indiana) has recognized the
genocide," editorializes the paper. "Another millions of dollars and
another several years will be spent on [genocide recognition by] the
49th and 50th states, and in the process they will speculate about why
the U.S. president has not uttered the word genocide."
(Elen Chilingarian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
October 31, 2017 Tuesday
No one wants to be grandson of murderer – Turkish journalist speaks
about Armenian Genocide recognition process
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. Turkish journalist Serdar Koroglu
highlights the role of the Turkish and Armenian civil societies in the
peace building process between the two peoples, Koroglu told the
reporters in Etchmiadzin, where he participated in an international
conference on seeking ways for establishing peace in the region. “I
think that civil societies have a great role here. You know that there
are political and historical troubles between our countries, but the
establishment of social peace is above all”, ARMENPRESS reports Serdar
Koroglu saying.
The Turkish journalist thinks that the day when the Turkish people
will say “Yes, the Genocide took place”, is not still near, because
it’s a long process. “Following the assassination of Hrant Dink, some
awakening occurred. Many started to speak about those realities. Now
many people know that the Genocide took place, but acknowledging it is
a more complicated process. No one wants to know that his grandfather
or grandmother was a murderer. No one wants to be a grandson of a
murderer”, the journalist said. According to him, coming to Armenia is
as hard for Turks, including him, as it is for Germans to go to
Jerusalem.
Speaking about his vision on normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations,
Serdar Koroglu highlighted the continuation of tete-a-tete dialogue.
“The football diplomacy was a very good opportunity for normalizing
Armenian-Turkish relations. I think such measures at the official
level are of key importance, since issues cannot be solved with closed
doors. We need new and new measures, we have to open our doors and
have to speak to each other more. I see the solution in this way”, he
concluded.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Tuesday
Mexican law makers paid tribute to the memory of those who died in the
Artsakh liberation struggle
Yerevan October 24
Marianna Mkrtchyan. A delegation of Mexican deputies is on a visit to Artsakh.
According to the press service of the Armenian parliament, Mexican
deputies of Blanka Margarita Kuat Dominguez, Maria Cristina Teresa
Garcia Bravo, Carlos Hernandez Miron, accompanied by the Deputy
Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov visited
Stepanakert Memorial on October 24 and paid tribute to the memory of
the sons of the Armenian people who died in the Artsakh Liberation
Struggle.

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Tuesday
Armenian government makes substantial efforts to assist refugees – FM Nalbandian
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Foreign minister of Armenia Edward
Nalbandian delivered a speech at the OSCE Mediterranean conference in
Palermo, Italy, press service of the ministry told Armenpress.
Armenpress presents the full text of his speech:
“Mr. Chairman, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank Minister Alfano and his team for the
organization of this Conference.
It is widely acknowledged that the security of the OSCE area and of
the Mediterranean region is interconnected and the recent developments
came to prove the veracity of this assumption. The unprecedented large
movements of migrants and refugees across Mediterranean and Middle
East, in particular from Syria and Iraq require close regional
cooperation in order to address such security related issues as
combating terrorism, countering trafficking, dignified treatment of
refugees, to name a few.
From Syria alone Armenia has harbored about 22.000 refugees, on per
capita basis making our country the third largest recipient of Syrian
refugees in Europe. This has caused a number of challenges for a
country of just 3 million which has in the recent past already
received hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing from Azerbaijan.
Many of the Syrian Armenian refugees are descendants of the survivors
of the Armenian Genocide who found shelter in Syria. One hundred years
passed, they were forced once again to abandon their places of
residence. Thus, Armenians know what it means to be a refugee and to
host refugees.
The Government of Armenia has undertaken substantial efforts in
assisting the refugees and facilitating their integration. We offered
wide variety of protection tools such as accelerated asylum
procedures, facilitated naturalization, emergency and medical
assistance, housing, scholarships, simplified access to educational
institutions and labor market, flexible taxation and business
environment. We are grateful for certain international support
provided to Armenia in this regard and look forward for the continued
cooperation.
Armenia has also tried to reach out to the people who need assistance
in Syria by continuous provision of humanitarian aid. The Consulate
General of Armenia in Aleppo has been the only diplomatic mission in
the city that despite challenging conditions has never stopped
operating.
It goes without saying that comprehensive response to the large
movements of migrants and refugees requires addressing root causes of
this phenomenon, such as terrorism and identity based crimes. Armenia
was among the first in the OSCE to raise these issues and strongly
advocate for the strengthening of the OSCE commitments in this regard.
The condemnation of persecutions of individuals and communities,
including on the basis of their religion or belief, bringing to
justice those who participate in perpetrating terrorist acts,
preventing cross-border movement of foreign fighters, weapons, funds
connected to the terrorist activities are important parts of the OSCE
commitments enshrined in the Hamburg ministerial declaration on
terrorism. We are convinced in the continuation of the OSCE efforts in
this regard.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to inform you on the upcoming OSCE conference on
“Countering and preventing hate crimes against Christians and members
of other religious groups,” to be held in Yerevan on November 22. The
participation and contribution of our Mediterranean partners will be
welcome.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Historically the Mediterranean has been not a natural barrier dividing
Europe, Africa and the Middle East, but rather a bridge linking so
many civilizations, Armenians among them, thriving on its hospitable
shores. We strongly believe that these traditions should be further
strengthened”.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Saturday
The President of the National Assembly met with the Polish Marshal of the Seim
Yerevan October 21
Ani Mshetsyan. Ara Babloyan, the Chairman of the National Assembly of
Armenia, met with the Marshal of the Seym of Poland Marek Kuchcinski
on October 20 in Warsaw.
According to the press service of the Armenian Parliament, Babloyan
noted that over the past 25 years, the countries have developed
friendly relations, political dialogue and effective cooperation in
various fields.
Ara Babloyan stressed that cooperation in the parliamentary format
plays an important role in enriching the Armenian-Polish interstate
cooperation and deepening the existing friendly ties. According to the
head of the Armenian parliament, the activation of ties between the
friendship groups in the parliaments can play an important role in the
development of the Armenian-Polish inter-parliamentary dialogue.
According to Babloyan, there is a great potential for development of
cooperation between the parliamentarians of Armenia and Poland, not
only in bilateral but also in multilateral format.
Touching upon the Karabakh issue, Babloyan noted that Armenia sees no
alternative to a peaceful settlement of the problem. Touching upon the
war unleashed by Azerbaijan in April last year, the head of the
Armenian parliament stressed that the atrocities committed by the
Azerbaijani side once again demonstrated the attitude of the
Azerbaijani leadership towards human life. The RA Parliament Speaker
noted that it is not clear how many more young people will die due to
the fault of the Azerbaijani side and its unwillingness to solve the
problem peacefully.
Marek Kuchcinski said that cooperation in the parliamentary format
will continue. He noted that Armenians are friends of the Poles, the
best proof of which is the historic resolution adopted yesterday in
the Senate, timed to coincide with the 650th anniversary of the
creation of the Armenian community of Poland. The sides also discussed
specific programs for the development of bilateral and multilateral
cooperation.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Friday
Alexander Khachatryan: Armenia has great potential for tourism development
Yerevan October 13
Naira Badalyan. Armenia has great potential for the development of
authentic, gastronomic, in particular, wine tourism, religious,
cultural and ecotourism. "Nevertheless, until the tourproduct is
developed and expectations are determined on it, one can not estimate
the amount of necessary investments, as well as assess the investment
potential of the sphere," October 13 at the final press conference,
responding to the question of ArmInfo, the head of the Center
strategic initiatives Alexander Khachaturyan. According to him, today
the CSI participated in the development of the concept of development
of the resort city of Jermuk. For this, first of all, studies were
carried out of existing programs and ideas, investors willing to
invest. Next, an expert was brought in, who assessed the potential of
the city on the spot. The implementation of the project is currently
estimated at $ 10 million.
The tourist product "Vanadzor as the center of industrial tourism" is
being developed, within the framework of which it is planned to
re-equip the old production buildings for concert halls, hotel
complexes and recreation areas. Next week it is planned to present a
concept for the project.
For the development of cultural tourism, the head of the SRC singled
out the product "Symphony of Stones: Living Ballet in the Open Air" in
Garni, following the example of Petra in Jordan. The product is ready
and the ballet corpse will open the season next year, he noted. It is
also planned to develop a special tourist product for cultural
monuments "Zvartnots", "Amberd" and others. In terms of implementing
special campaigns to promote the Armenian tour product, the head of
the Center noted Let's Armenia promo actions, which took place in
various cities of Russia, as well as the presentation of the Armenian
tourist potential at the international tourist exhibition Leisure
2017. Khachatryan noted that at the Leisure 2017 exhibition, concept -
sold the tourist direction, behind which was a specific tour operator.
Speaking about the results of the work, he indicated 24% growth of
tourism in Armenia. "Even an unprofessional view can be seen progress
in the sphere," Khachatryan said.
At the same time, Khachatryan refrained from calling ArmInfo specific
expectations for investments, both in terms of their volume and
potential investors, since, he said, he only communicates with
investors as an adviser. "The search for an investor is not included
in the functional responsibilities of the Center for Strategic
Initiatives. Our role is to contribute to the development of the
economic agenda of reforms, as well as its formation and
implementation of works that will contribute to the creation of a
favorable investment environment," he said. According to him, he
personally communicated with 5-6 foreign investors, who expressed
interest in the sphere of high technologies, energy and agriculture.
According to Khachatryan, the studies showed that at the moment the
Center has realized that the lack of a legislative basis for
public-private partnership (PPP) also hinders the attraction of
investments. "A number of organizations had a desire to conclude
transactions in PPP, but did not do so because of" bad legislation.
"Based on this, it was decided to develop an appropriate policy, and
only then turn to donors and potential business partners wait for a
quick investment, as the process requires an average of 2-3 years.
Not having received exhaustive answers to their questions, journalists
asked to justify the reasonableness of the Center's activities and the
salary budget of the team of 22 employees. According to Khachatryan,
the budget of the Center is formed as follows: 100 million drams are
directed from the state budget and 33 million from private sources. As
he noted, they did not make a revolution, but only developed a new
model through which the public and private sectors, through
cooperation, implement the agenda of economic reforms in the judicial
system and in the state administration, high technology and tax and
customs administration, education, tourism, rural economy and PPP.
"CSI serves as a platform where private traders together with the
state implement joint projects," he explained.
The Center for Strategic Initiatives is called upon to develop a
long-term strategy for the development of the economy. It operates on
the principles of public-private partnership, and has become a
platform where, with the participation of the private sector, one can
talk about reforms and strategies. The official opening of the Center
took place on January 12, 2017.