Armenia can benefit one more thing from the Greek crisis. This is what the President of the “Republican Union of Employers of Armenia,” economist Gagik Makaryan. In the interview with “Aravot”, Mr. Makaryan expressed the opinion that the years-long economic crisis in Greece does not leave its negative impact on our country, because the size of the remittances coming for this country and the trade turnover between the two countries is not big, which is not true in the case of Russia. As said by Gagik Makaryan, for several years, the situation in Greece goes to the worsening, but no significant impact is observed on our country. “When the situation in Russia rapidly worsened, we quickly felt it on our skin because we are interrelated with Russia as a trade partner country, in addition, a significant portion of the remittances incurs from Russia. In the case of Greece, for several years, the situation is going to worsening, but we do not feel the difference on any issue.”
To our observation that the Greek crisis has forced some of our fellow citizens to return to Armenia, in other words, we had an immigration, which is important for our country under the today’s migration, Gagik Makaryan said that it is true that we are happy with the return of our fellow citizens, but some of these people appeared in a severe psychological situation on returning to Armenia. Mr. Makaryan is working on a returned migrants by a European program and meeting with people in Gyumri who are passing a requalification in our country for work have found out that there are people among them who have earned serious money abroad, but coming to Armenia, they stand before the fact.
Referring to the Greek crisis and the question of how the Greek economic dire situation will impact on our country economy, Gagik Makaryan first presented the situation, saying that if he were in the place of the European Union, “he would have expelled Greece long ago” from this Union, because still since 1998, when Mr. Makaryan was collaborating with Greece on some issues, he has noted that this country allowed itself lavish expenditures. “Often, the European Union was not taking the membership fee from Greece, under the agreements, the European Union was often saying not to pay this amount and keep it for your own development and Europe was helping them.
Working less, Greece was making lavish expenditures, and these expenditures were increasingly growing, plus there is a tremendous corruption there, a lot of money was “consumed”, and now, all of this money has remained on the people and businesses.”
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Gagik Makaryan believes that the European Union finally has chosen the right path for Greece, deciding to withdraw this country from the Union if it does not start a recovery process and does not gradually pay the debt accumulated by the country. “Greece tried to blackmail the European Union, but it saw that nothing comes out. When the European Union said that it has a plan of what preventive steps to take in the case of withdrawal of Greece, Greece began to fawn on Russians saying that we are coming to join the Customs Union, but when it did not receive any reaction, it cutely sat up and agreed to do certain things.”
Our interlocutor believes that withdrawal of particularly Germany and Greece is not profitable for super developed countries of Europe because of the changes in the euro exchange rate. “Because Germany nowadays is a strong exporting state, and its exports are largely dependent on the rate of the euro, Germany makes a huge export to Greece, and the more Greece’s economic situation deteriorated, the more German products significantly occupied a place in these countries.
There is also a certain problem of interests in Europe of how long they can keep Greece. Now, the situation is back to normal, Greece should go to recovery, it should try accumulating some money by adding the tax burden to return the debts.”
Gagik Makaryan thinks that Armenian can take the advantage of this circumstance and try bringing investments from Greece to Armenia. “Tax increase can lead to withdrawing a part of the business from Greece. It is possible that the Greek businessmen should not agree to work under the new tax burden, and if they really have the desire to work with the Customs Union, they can make investments in Armenia and start a business and then from Armenia to the Customs Union markets.”
Our interlocutor believes that Armenia can benefit in terms of tourism too. “Many people spend their vacation on the shores of Greece, also visiting the historical sites. If the tax burden is increased in Greece, the prices will grow, and the tourism is one of the most sensitive sectors to prices: the prices for the hotels, services, and goods will also grow, and those who prefer the beach, will go to Georgia, Turkey, and Israel, and those who want to communicate with ancient cultures, they will come to Armenia because Armenia is also an ancient country.”
Gagik Makaryan believes that Armenia should strengthen its analytical part and demonstrate a flexibility. “We, for example, should increase advertising our country or cooperate with Greek tour agencies and agree to work together in a chain, or to develop direct contacts with the European tour companies to sending tourists to Armenia. Let us suggest our country as an alternative to Greece, and those who want to go to sea, let them go to Turkey, Georgia, and Israel, and those who want to see culture, churches, religion, language, letters, the Armenian landscape, and prefer enjoying fruits, let them come to Armenia”. Gagik Makaryan regrets that too often our public institutions or private structures are demonstrating their flexibility so slowly that until they move from their seats, they miss the opportunity from their hands.
Lusine BUDAGHYAN
“Aravot” daily
