Is Karabakh To Blame for Armenia’s Woes?

“The unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and unsettled Armenian-Turkish relations hinder the development of Armenia,” such an argument has been causing debate in Armenia for many years. Discussions have gained fresh impetus after the speech by the country’s first president, now leader of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) Levon Ter-Petrosyan at last weekend’s 16th congress of the Armenian National Movement, a former ruling party that now is a key member in the Ter-Petrosyan-led political alliance.  Read more... (626 words)

A Statement of the Armenian National Congress Regrading Social Democratic (Hnchakyan) Party

The Armenian National Congress issued the following statement:

“The Armenian National Congress is sad to report that issues jeopardizing the unity of the Social Democratic (Hnchakyan) Party have emerged. The Congress does not accept any development that goes against RA legislation and the party’s charter.

We express hope that it will be possible to start a process which will help restore the unity of the party and find an acceptable solution that will be in line with the laws and requirements of the charter. Until that solution is found, the Armenian National Congress will continue to acknowledge the Social Democratic (Hnchakyan) Party headed by Lyudmila Sargsyan as its partner.  Read more... (153 words)

Armenian National Congress Attempting to Remain Intact Until Next Elections, Says Giro Manoyan

The last speech by the Republic of Armenia’s first president, Levon Ter-Petrossian, is full of contradictions, announced Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun, or ARF-D) Political Affairs and Armenian Cause (“Hay Dat”) Bureau Director Giro Manoyan during a press conference today.

Manoyan characterized Ter-Petrossian’s speech as a bargain purposefully directed to the governing authorities. According to Manoyan, the Armenian National Congress is striking a deal with the country’s leadership so that it can have an opportunity of becoming a real political force and not just an opposition (the ANC is not an official political party in Armenia). In this context, he pointed out the example of Serbia and Ukraine, where colourful revolutions took place only during the election period. “They are trying to remain intact until the next elections,” noted Manoyan.  Read more... (170 words)

More People Would Support Armenian National Congress than Dashnaktsutyun: Opinion

“It seems to me, it can be argued, that ANC [Armenian National Congress] is the opposition, while Dashnaktsutyun [Armenian Revolutionary Federation] is not. Dashnaktsutyun attempted to become the opposition, it attempted, it made the right move, someone had to come out on the streets and incite the people, but since Dashnaktsutyun didn’t have that opposition status which Congress had, the people didn’t listen to that call and didn’t follow them. But if Congress had come out, more people would come out after them and there would’ve been results in that case,” said Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP) member Vahan Shirkhanyan at a press conference today.

Asked if SDHP is against steps taken by the Armenian National Congress, is it possible that it will withdraw from being part of the ANC, Shirkhanyan stated:  Read more... (266 words)

Pro-Opposition Economist Fears Turks Will Take Advantage of “Corrupt” Structure of Armenia’s Economy

Armenia is not ready for opening its border with Turkey as long as its economy is controlled by a group of oligarchs and small and medium-sized businesses are all but destroyed, an economist and former mayor of Yerevan claimed at a press conference Thursday.

Vahagn Khachatryan, who headed municipal authorities in Yerevan in 1992-1996 and now is a senior member of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC), explained: “Turkey is the world’s 17th economy by its GDP size (Armenia is 123rd among 180 countries). There are almost all representatives (without exception) of major transnational concerns of the world in Turkey – from Coca-Cola to Ford. Turkey is ahead of Armenia in tourism, construction and other sectors of the economy, too. Besides, Turkish businessmen are well aware of the corrupt structure of the Armenian economy, and they are tempted to take advantage of this circumstance. Finding themselves out of competition in this sphere, Turkish businessmen may gain monopoly in one strategically important sector of the Armenian economy or another. This will threaten not only the economy but also the national security of Armenia.”  Read more... (290 words)

Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement Possible Scenarios: Levon Ter-Petrossian Speaks

At today’s meeting of Armenian National Congress (ANC) activists, Levon Ter-Petrossian considered possible the following scenario of subsequent developments:

“The Turkish parliament will postpone ratification process of the Protocols or will ratify them with some reservations, seeking to promote quick settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh issue in that way.

“Armenia’s parliament will be acquire an anticipatory position and will try to refer to the ratification issue of the Protocols only after they are ratified by Turkey.

“Considering the Nagorno-Karabakh issue to be the main obstacle for coming out of the deadlock, the international community will try to accelerate its denouement, which obviously corresponds to Turkey’s position.  Read more... (303 words)

Living on a Budget: Armenian Ministries Downplay Impact of Reduced Funding on Their Sectors

The draft 2010 state budget that the opposition has already branded as “a budget of resignation” reduces spending in different sectors of the economy, which, however, does not discourage the ministers in charge of these spheres.

Next year’s budget calls for an expenditure of a total of 859 billion drams (about $2.23 billion), which is by 75 billion drams (about $195 million) less than the budget revenue pattern that had been planned for the current year and by 21 billion drams (about $55 million) less than this year’s planned budgetary expenditure.  Read more... (535 words)

Opposition: Authorities in Armenia Unable to Handle The Economy

The current authorities of Armenia are unable to settle any economic problem in the country, because the whole machinery of state is in the hands of a group of oligarchs, whereas the authorities simply serve that group of people, Levon Zurabyan, coordinator of the main opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC), charged at a press conference Tuesday.

According to him, while during the recent years the current economic system managed to survive somehow mainly at the expense of remittances wired home by Armenians living and working abroad, then during this year the world economic crisis has revealed its whole incapacity.  Read more... (299 words)

Members of The Armenian National Comitee Met With Congressman Thaddeus McCotter

Members of the Armenian National Committee – Political Action Committee (ANC-PAC) met with Congressman Thaddeus McCotter in Los Angeles, California to discuss foreign policy issues important to the Armenian American community.

The centerpiece of the discussion was the Turkish-Armenian protocols, Armenian Genocide recognition and President Obama’s failure to honor the memories of the victims of the Genocide.

“Despite campaign promises to officially recognize the Genocide, the Administration has failed to deliver on its commitment,” said McCotter. “Further, this Administration has worked with Turkey in pressuring Armenia into accepting an allegedly neutral historical commission to determine the facts surrounding the Armenian Genocide. Importantly, the United States should never support efforts to question the veracity of the Armenian Genocide, a crime that U.S. diplomats risked their lives to document.”  Read more... (231 words)