“Azg” assumes that French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s state visit to Armenia mainly pursues the goal of wooing the 500,000-strong Armenian community in France ahead of next year’s presidential race.
“Otherwise, what would have made the president of France go on such a trip to the South Caucasus during these difficult days for the Euro zone, on the threshold of elections and having a baby in his family? But, of course, in the region Sarkozy is also as head of one of the three countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group [on Nagorno-Karabakh],” writes the paper.
“Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun” claims that the owners of minibus routes connecting provinces with Yerevan incur financial losses but won’t go against government instructions to suspend their work not to bring more people to attend mass protests in Yerevan. The paper suggests that like other government-linked businessmen, “they also understand that the authorities may snatch businesses from anyone and at any moment.”
“Hayots Ashkhar” writes that at the end of the first week of the ‘nonstop’ rallies it is time for the leader of the Armenian National Congress (HAK), Levon Ter-Petrosian, to decide whether to continue them or not, because none of the HAK demands have been granted by the government. “A second one will begin. And how long will it last? And what will be then?” queries the paper. “Everyone should agree that this is not such an effective means of solving the issue of power.”
In an interview with “Zhamanak” economist Vahagn Khachatrian describes the tax addition in the 2012 draft state budget presented by the government as very unfeasible, “considering the circumstance that despite [prime minister] Tigran Sarkisian’s assurances that we have a more diversified economy and will be less dependant on the influence of a particular sector of the economy, the reality is different”. “We continue to remain dependant on the mining industry, the international prices of copper and molybdenum, as well as the transfers that Armenians wire home from abroad. And because the situation on the international market is, to put it mildly, not good at present, there is no forecast that would prompt optimism,” the economist suggests.
(Tigran Avetisian)