“Zhamanak” comments on an RFE/RL report that the European Union is not yet planning to mention the future of his relationship with Armenia in a declaration that will be adopted at the upcoming EU summit in Vilnius. The paper says this “disdainful treatment” of Armenia is compounded by new EU overtures to Azerbaijan. It points to a sentence in the draft summit declaration saying that the EU is ready to start negotiations with Baku on creating a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). “This despite the fact that Europe made a fairly tough evaluation of the recent Azerbaijani presidential election,” it says.
Interviewed by “Hayots Ashkhar,” Samvel Nikoyan, a senior pro-government lawmaker, downplays opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian’s calls for President Serzh Sarkisian’s resignation. “For the past five years Levon Ter-Petrosian has periodically demanded the president’s resignation,” says Nikoyan. “Moreover, he has demanded pre-term presidential and parliamentary elections and, in effect, has not said anything new.” He adds that the criticism of Sarkisian’s foreign policy voiced by Ter-Petrosian and other opposition figures is unfounded because that policy is completely in line with Armenia’s official national security strategy.
“Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun” believes that people are leaving Armenia because of unemployment and a “lack of justice.” “Therefore, stopping the emigration requires a drastic increase in living standards and the establishment of the rule of law in the country,” writes the paper. “As we can see, this is not a difficult recipe. But this must be done through concrete actions, rather than empty speeches.” It claims that a democratically elected government would be able to quickly reduce the informal sector of the Armenian economy by half and more than double the minimum wage.
“Hraparak” sees no letup in street protests against various government bodies held by disgruntled Armenian citizens. “That despite the fact that people emigrate, become disappointed, consider the struggle pointless or get arrested, says the paper. “That testifies to the unlimited vital strength of our people. If alien hordes did not manage to annihilate, deport or assimilate us and break our will for centuries, how can Armenian rulers destroy the Armenian spirit and will to fight?”
(Tigran Avetisian)
Interviewed by “Hayots Ashkhar,” Samvel Nikoyan, a senior pro-government lawmaker, downplays opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian’s calls for President Serzh Sarkisian’s resignation. “For the past five years Levon Ter-Petrosian has periodically demanded the president’s resignation,” says Nikoyan. “Moreover, he has demanded pre-term presidential and parliamentary elections and, in effect, has not said anything new.” He adds that the criticism of Sarkisian’s foreign policy voiced by Ter-Petrosian and other opposition figures is unfounded because that policy is completely in line with Armenia’s official national security strategy.
“Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun” believes that people are leaving Armenia because of unemployment and a “lack of justice.” “Therefore, stopping the emigration requires a drastic increase in living standards and the establishment of the rule of law in the country,” writes the paper. “As we can see, this is not a difficult recipe. But this must be done through concrete actions, rather than empty speeches.” It claims that a democratically elected government would be able to quickly reduce the informal sector of the Armenian economy by half and more than double the minimum wage.
“Hraparak” sees no letup in street protests against various government bodies held by disgruntled Armenian citizens. “That despite the fact that people emigrate, become disappointed, consider the struggle pointless or get arrested, says the paper. “That testifies to the unlimited vital strength of our people. If alien hordes did not manage to annihilate, deport or assimilate us and break our will for centuries, how can Armenian rulers destroy the Armenian spirit and will to fight?”
(Tigran Avetisian)