Said the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, at the meeting with Armenians living in the Czech Republic
The video cameras were taken out from the Embassy hall, and only the president’s personal operator was allowed.
The remaining speech of the president is a monotone conversation: unprecedented economic growth, migration decrease, and success in foreign diplomacy. Then comes our questions, as for the president’s responses, judge for yourself.
Larisa Grigoryan, quoting Aznavour’s interview, “No much time will pass, and Armenia will resemble an empty snail shell. And who profits from this? Wealthy gangs? A few Mafioso? I know that we have a small piece of a poor country, who is dying day by day,” asked,
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– Mr. President, if you agree with this opinion, then how can we prevent the day by day emigration and increasing poverty?
– I have respect for Aznavour as a musician, but he is very far from Armenia and is unaware of the reality. As for growing emigration, you are an Armenian language teacher, but you have not well understood the meaning of the word “growing”.
(And the president lists numbers. This much and this much economic growth, growth of gross product, which resulted in a decrease in the rate of emigration in 2012). Don’t you agree that life has been improved, people in the streets of Yerevan are better dressed?
– No, shouted Tamara MELKONYAN from the last raw, Armenia is not only Yerevan, go to the villages and you would see what poverty prevails there.
– Stand up, let me see who you are. How do you know sitting here?
– I know, how much money I was sending to my relatives, the same amount I am sending now, – and concurrently speaks with the president.
– Let me talk, do not ask your relatives, just believe the international numbers. There are the data of international monitoring. Trust in this.
– Armen KOLOYAN – Mr. President, by adding and subtracting the numbers you said, it turned out that 38,000 people abandoned the country in 2012. And this is a very big number.
– You have come here and worry about, go back and we would be many. Our statistical department has not yet published the figures for 2013. When published, we would see.
Bagrat ARAKELYAN – I do not hide that I am one of today’s organized rally participants. Most of Armenians living outside are against Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union. Why didn’t you ask the opinion of All-Armenians when making a decision? Let you hold a referendum.
– You are interesting people, you have come here and want to decide Armenia’s fate? Let those living in Armenia resolve these matters, you have nothing to do with those matters. They should decide whether Armenia be in the Customs Union or not. I cannot ask for everyone’s opinion overnight. Have you read the EU Free Trade Agreement? What are the terms?
– I have not read, I have just lived a pretty long time in Russia, then I moved to Europe and I am able to compare.
– Our choice is not a civilization one. It is a choice that is driven from the economic interests of our people. We cannot sign a Free Trade Agreement and increase the gas price and the electricity fee three-fold. If it turns out that cognac does not meet the European standards, we would not grow grapes, and so on. Is this what you want? Let’s say you voice a protest here with 5 of you, what do you want to say by this that you decide here on how we are going to live there?
– We have expressed our opinion.
– Let you tell your opinion at your home. I do not know a case when the president goes for negotiations with all of his arguments published. We are not yet a member of the CU, the parliament has still to pass 150 laws, and the National Assembly is our people’s voice.
Hakob ASATRYAN – Do you consider it possible that Armenia would sign the EU Free Trade Area Agreement through the CU?
– “ECOIS” survey conduction company has published the data. In a short-run, the Free Trade Agreement will provide 1 per cent growth of Armenia’s gross domestic income, in a mid- and long-run – 2-3%. Well, let’s compare by commodity. Only gas, natural diamonds, fuel and lubrication substances. The benefit of only from this is several times more. In addition, Russia sells 30 % cheaper petroleum to CU member countries, now, what should we do, to say, no, we would pay more and join the Association plan? The Czech Republic pays twice more to “Gazprom” for 1000 cubic meters. We export aluminum, copper and molybdenum concentrates to Europe. No matter what other agreements we sign, they will be happy to accept these concentrates. I do not think that we would be able to sell even 150 bottles of cognac per annum in Europe in the future, whereas we sell 150 million bottles of cognac in Russia. We are organically tied to the economy of the CIS countries, this is the reason for going to the Eurasian Union. We clearly understand that the economic relations in Europe are 20-30 years ahead, but what should we do, to sign FTA and increase poverty in the country? I’m sure that the time for signing an EU Free Trade Area Agreement through the CU will come. It’s inevitable.
Shushan GHAZARYAN – I cannot turn to you as my president, as I have not elected you, in other words, I am deprived of that opportunity. I would like to ask you, when will the right of Armenian citizens living abroad to voting be restored? Not say, come to Armenia and vote. I prefer sending this money to my relatives in need.
– It’s really a tough question, because we do not have embassies in all countries, the dual citizenships have become more. If, let’s say, we open up a polling station in Prague, someone from Brno would say, open up one here too. Or, how do you visualize this for the Armenians living in Russia? How are they going to cross from Siberia to Moscow and Petersburg? Are we going to open up a polling station everywhere? I understand that you are helping the Homeland economically, but the election for the president is first of all the right of the one living in Armenia. But if we develop so much to ensure transparency and fairness, we can provide an e-voting and solve the problem, but it is hard and would be challenging in the future.
Anna KARAPETYAN – We are at a disadvantage with Azerbaijan in the field of information. If it goes on, one day we would lose Artsakh. Isn’t it possible to establish a European press center here and actively resist the media war of Azerbaijan?
– Where did you get it from that we would lose Artsakh? If so, why doesn’t Azerbaijan sign the last agreements? I do not understand what it is about, what the European press center is. I think we do not need it, because we are not at a disadvantage with Azerbaijan in the field of information.
– Arsen, entrepreneur, Brno – I would like to talk about the business monopolization. For instance, why is sugar imported to the country by a single person?
– So, what do you want? Should ten people import sugar to a small country?
– I am engaged in transport business. They say that allegedly this business is not advantages in Armenia. If not, give it to others, such as me, I would make it better. I have experience, and I will set up law and order.
– Come to Armenia, set up your businesses and should you have difficulties, contact me.
Hakob ASATRYAN – TV programs are not useful, they are in Russian language, vulgar, children’s programs are broadcast during the nighttime.
– Most of the TV channels are private, and I have no right to interfere. As for “H1” channel, agree that a lot has been changed, there are fresh and interesting headlines. Maybe, something else is broadcast by the satellite, but in Yerevan, it is very good.
SHUSHAN GHAZARYAN
Prague