Media: Pashinyan's actions hinder EU aid to Armenia

The actions of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the situation with the arrested businessman Samvel Karapetyan are hindering the provision of assistance to Yerevan by the EU, while the potential beneficiaries of the situation with Karapetyan's nationalized company "Electric Networks of Armenia" are in Turkey, the Turkish newspaper Aydınlık writes.

"The Armenian leader considers his negotiations with Europe successful. He expects the European Union to ensure Armenia's security and invest in the country's economy. However, in reality, Pashinyan's actions are hindering the provision of assistance by the EU," the newspaper writes.

Thus, European Commissioner for EU Enlargement Marta Kos promised after a recent meeting with Pashinyan that a key document would be signed at the next meeting of the EU-Armenia Association Council, and a joint statement following the meeting said that Kos expressed the EU's strong support for "Armenia's ambitious reform program and the effective implementation of democratic reforms."

"As usual, the promises of European governments do not correspond to reality. So far, Pashinyan's "strong support" is backed by only one concrete (and so far unfulfilled) promise: a grant package of 270 million euros for the Armenian government. This amount was agreed upon during the recent visit of the EU delegation to Yerevan. This figure is insignificant even compared to Armenia's relatively small economy: the country's foreign trade volume is about 15 billion euros," the publication says.

Moreover, Pashinyan will not be able to use even this small amount of European funds to develop the country's economy or social sphere. EU grants can only be spent on "combatting disinformation and hybrid threats," that is, in the media sphere. In addition to this grant, EU representatives promised to prepare only a plan to liberalize Armenia's visa regime with the EU. The article notes that the EU refuses to make significant commitments, since it believes that Pashinyan's reforms do not actually promote democracy, but rather serve to redistribute existing property in Armenia.

The article emphasizes that Pashinyan promised Europe "democratic reforms," but in reality his authoritarian rule manifested itself in repressions against political opponents and the seizure of assets from large businesses. In addition, Pashinyan canceled new public opinion polls ordered by the government, considering them "unnecessary." To date, politically motivated criminal cases have been initiated against 150 politicians and businessmen at Pashinyan's initiative, the newspaper notes. "The most scandalous of these cases was the prosecution of businessman Samvel Karapetyan, who stated that he did not want to interfere in politics, but intended to protect the Armenian Apostolic Church from Pashinyan. He was accused of "calls for the seizure of power," the publication recalls.

"Sources told our newspaper that the people who will ultimately benefit from the confiscation of Karapetyan's property are in Turkey. Perhaps it is these investors who are the reason why Pashinyan not only dealt a blow to Armenian big capital, but also violated his obligations to the EU," the newspaper writes. The author of the publication believes that the European Union will maintain dialogue with Yerevan for some time, but now serious European investments in Armenia will become nothing more than a dream. "After the "Karapetyan case", no European politician will support the direction of EU funds or private capital to Armenia in the short or long term. Now the question arises: will the Turkish investors involved in the collapse of the "Electric Networks of Armenia" really invest in Armenia or will they just make a quick buck and disappear?" the publication asks.

The owner of the "Tashir Group" company, Karapetyan, was charged and arrested in Armenia after he declared his support for the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) amid attacks from the authorities. The businessman himself did not admit guilt and called the Armenian leadership insolvent. His position in support of the church caused discontent among the country's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who posted several posts on the social network Facebook* (banned in the Russian Federation as extremist) with insults against the clergy and benefactors of the church.

Karapetyan invests a lot of money in the development of Armenia. The main areas of charitable activities of the "Tashir" foundation are the preservation and revival of historical heritage, the reconstruction of churches and temples, the development of healthcare and medicine. In addition, part of the funds goes to support mass and youth sports, development of culture and art, implementation of social programs, assistance to those in need, including low-income families and the disabled. The fund builds and repairs educational institutions, and also implements educational programs.

Reprinted from https://ria.ru/