“Frankly Speaking I’m Concerned with our Economy”

After the Q&A session at the National Assembly, the newly appointed Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan replied to the reporter’s questions, which we introduce below.

Mr. Karapetyan, you stated that even if you’re proposed the position of the prime minister, you won’t agree. What have made you agree now?

If I’m not mistaken I stated it in 2013, now certain conditions have changed.

What has changed?

Frankly speaking I’m concerned with our economy.

Which programs are you going to implement, besides the two stages you have touched upon?

All the programs will include 2 stages.

Is it true that you don’t want to work with the ministers from ARF and in particular, with David Lokyan?

It’s not true. For the time being it’s more important for me what view he has with the branch, rather than his party belonging.

Are there people who’ll leave the Government?

Yes, I’m not going to give names.

Monopolies have been country’s malady, how are you going to fight against them? Will there be new rules for the game?

Yes, there will be equal rules. Monopolies should be treated in the following way: country’s being small will lead to the point that there won’t be any big actor, it’s another question—does it originate in fair, competitive conditions or in an administrative way? There will be equal conditions. If any of them is successive business, we’re not going to seize that in any way.

Do you state by this that new rules for the game have functioned until now?

I think, yes.

What’s your assessment to the work of Hovik Abrahamyan’s Government?

Former PM is my partner, my friend. I think he took the burden of the Government at a rather difficult condition. I’m not the one to assess the work implemented by him.

Do you agree with the opinions that Hovik Abrahamyan’s Government failed in fight against corruption?

I haven’t heard such an assessment and let me disagree.

There are opinions that you have been sent from the Kremlin, how do you consider this?

With a smile.

What course in foreign policy will you adopt and how much will the Foreign Minister be responsible before you?

My dears, it’s 1.5 day that I’m the PM, I said, I’ll introduce the program. Questions you gave are from that program. If I now introduce it part by part, it won’t be interesting to you, secondly, maybe I know answers to these questions on the thesis level. I’ll introduce the program in a defined period.

When did you realize that country’s economy is rather hard?

This hard condition depends on both objective and subject reasons. I consider it’s not productive now understand what is right and what is wrong. The right point is making the diagnosis of our illness and curing it.

By Gayane Khachatryan