“Haykakan Zhamanak” says that as much as $70 million may be needed for ensuring Armenia’s compliance with its membership commitments to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). “Most of that money, about $40 million, was supposed to be given by the union’s member states and Russia in particular,” writes the paper. It says that after months of negotiations the Armenian Ministry of Finance “has lost hope for securing that money and is now trying to get it from other sources.”
“168 Zham” reports that members of the Armenian parliament’s economic committee made no secret of their skepticism about membership in the EEU just as they approved Armenia’s accession treaty with the Russian-led bloc on Wednesday. One of them, Mikael Melkumian, said that he does not believe that Russian investments in the Armenian economy will rise as a result. He argued in particular that the Russian oil giant Rosneft has failed to make good on its 2013 pledges to revitalize Yerevan’s Nairit chemical giant.
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” fears that one of the EEU member states, Kazakhstan, will create more problems for Armenia within the bloc given its close ties to Azerbaijan. The paper says that those ties could affect EEU decisions related to Armenia.
“Zhoghovurd” notes that the posts of Armenia’s deputy prime minister and secretary of the National Security Council remain vacant. The paper quotes the ruling Republican Party (HHK) spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov as saying that the Armenian authorities are in no rush to fill these vacancies. It suggests that President Serzh Sarkisian is delaying the appointments for “certain political purposes.”
“168 Zham” says that Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) has signed cooperation agreements with a dozen or so smaller opposition groups with the aim of making them join its alliance with the Armenian National Congress (HAK) and the Zharangutyun Party. The paper notes that unlike Tsarukian, the HAK and Zharangutyun leaders have not met with those groups and “have nothing to do” with their agreements with the BHK. “It looks as though the BHK has privatized the [three-party] popular movement,” it says.
(Heghine Buniatian)