Pashinian specifically cited economic growth recorded during his eight-year rule and “peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
“Armenia has never experienced such an unprecedented period of opportunity in its history,” he said in his opening remarks. “We need to be able to use this situation continuously. It is obvious that the government cannot do this without key players in the economy and the real sector of the economy.”
Pashinian’s office reported no details of the ensuing discussion of the Armenian government’s economic policies and “a number of questions related to problem solving.”
Observers were quick to note that the meeting came less than two months before Armenia’s showdown parliamentary elections. Two of the main opposition election contenders are led by wealthy businessmen, Samvel Karapetian and Gagik Tsarukian, who are very critical of the government’s track record.
Both men are facing different criminal charges rejected by them as politically motivated. Not surprisingly, neither they nor any representatives of their firms were invited to the meeting with Pashinian.
“The Armenian authorities, taking advantage of their position, involve big businessmen in such propaganda events,” Suren Parsian, a Yerevan-based economist, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “Meetings in such a format add to the public perception that the authorities have the backing of big business and can easily hold on to power.”
Two of the participants of the meeting, Samvel Aleksanian and Artak Sargsian, were affiliated with former President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) until the 2018 “velvet revolution” that brought Pashinian to power. Both tycoons were notorious for reportedly pressuring their employees to vote for Sarkisian or the HHK in various elections. They are believed to have supported the current government since then.
Aleksanian has wide-ranging business interests that make him one of Armenia’s richest men. In particular, his family owns a mobile phone retailer that became last year the country’s number one corporate taxpayer as a result of cashing in on Western sanctions against Russia. The company, Mobile Center, import smartphones and re-exports most of them to Russia.