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Press Review


“Zhamanak” calls “amazing” official Yerevan’s silence over the latest high-level Russian-Turkish negotiations that touched upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “As the Turks and the Russians are busy actively discussing and making statements on issues related to Armenia’s security, Armenia’s authorities open a medical equipment plant or an agricultural production line,” complains the pro-opposition paper. “As if they are trying to show a demonstrative indifference to the Russian-Turkish thaw, pretending that there is nothing extraordinary, no developments deserving particular attention or concern going on.” It claims this stance testifies to a sense of “doom” or “deep depression.”

Hakob Ter-Khachaturian, a Canada-based member of the governing Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), tells “Aravot” that chances of reviving the Turkish-Armenian protocols strongly opposed by his party are very slim at the moment. “But as long as Armenia’s signature is not withdrawn [from the protocols,] they might be revived in the future,” he says.

“Independence ushered Armenia in an era of permanent emergencies,” writes “Hayots Ashkhar.” “The social order that came to replace the Communist system has had to deal with emergency situations. It was not designed to overcome them. It functions but sporadically and not very well because, for objective reasons, it is weak and devoid of big resources for the moment. Emergency situations have become a usual occurrence in our life.” This reality will not change until there are “radical changes” in Armenia’s social fabric, concludes the paper.

“168 Zham” comments on yet another increase in the minimum cost of borrowing that was approved by the Armenian Central Bank earlier this week. The paper points out that many economists believe the bank’s benchmark refinancing rate does not have a serious impact on inflation and economic activity in the country. “Inflationary phenomena in Armenia are mainly conditioned by unhealthy competition,” it says. “When importers enjoying monopolistic or oligopolistic positions … suddenly decide to raise the prices of consumer goods, no re-financing rate will help. In other words, Armenian inflation should be primarily dealt with by the State Commission on the Protection of Economic Competition.”

“Hraparak” reports that the number of suicides committed by minors in Armenia is on the rise. The paper says relevant police services and educational institutions have received “special orders” to deal with the problem in earnest. It says children whose relatives are affiliated with non-traditional religious groups or who have relatives criminal records are among the “risks groups” defined the Armenian authorities.

(Tigran Avetisian)
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