“Zhamanak” comments on the latest rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) obligating the Armenian authorities to pay 71,000 euros in damages to four Armenians ill-treated by law-enforcement and prison officials. “In essence, those cases are not different from dozens of other verdicts that have been handed down by the ECHR based on appeals from Armenian nationals,” writes the paper. “They apply to abuses by our courts. So instead of helping to solve social problems Armenia’s cash-strapped budget must pay a total of 500,000 euros for illegal decisions of our judicial system … With half a million euros we could have solved social problems of so many people.”
“A ‘broad consolidation’ [of political forces] over constitutional reform promised by Serzh Sarkisian is not materializing after all,” writes “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun.” “Political forces are trying to clinch something in return for [backing the reform.] This indirectly proves that Serzh Sarkisian wants to amend the constitution out of his personal interests. Everyone understands that.”
“168 Zham” says macroeconomic data of the last few months makes mockery of Armenian officials’ assurances that membership in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) will be very good for Armenia’s economy. “Exports to the other EEU member states and Russia in particular are sharply down,” argues the paper. “Remittances from Russia to Armenia have also decreased. Some EEU economists are telling us that it is too early to draw conclusions regarding the results of our membership in the EEU. According to them, the results will be visible in six months. But clearly Armenia will not gain anything from the EEU membership in six or even sixty months.”
“Haykakan Zhamanak” says that the ongoing international talks in Switzerland over Iran’s controversial nuclear program are “hugely important” for Armenia as well. “Because of the sanctions [imposed on Tehran] Armenian-Iranian economic relations have been stagnating,” writes the paper. “Despite having a 70 million-strong [Iranian] market next door, we are failing to use it to stimulate our economic development. Iran also has unlimited energy resources. But Armenia is not able to make use of them either.”
Interviewed by “Hayots Ashkhar,” political scientist Aleksandr Iskandarian also describes the lifting of the international sanctions against Iran as “very important” for Armenia. Such a development, explains Iskandarian, would cause Iran to remove at least some of its trade barriers to imports from Armenia and other countries.
(Tigran Avetisian)