Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) correspondent Elisa Vass recently visited Armenia and met with Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan. Elisa Vass permitted Mediamax to publish the full text of her talk with the head of Armenian government.
What effect you mediate is your main objective as a Prime Minister?
Our main objective is to create a secure,independent, just and intellectual Armenia. We currently keep the emphasis on the economy and try to create unprejudiced and equal conditions for the business and the investors.
You mentioned before the elections that you expected investments of over USD 3 billion. Where will that money come from?
We described all investments and expectations very precisely in our programs. In specific, or we announced our plan to attract USD 3.2 billion in the next few years from five main sources: private business investments,loans, donor programs, or state budget,and regional budgets. We consider it realistic to realize projects valued USD 830-840 million during 2017.
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We published those numbers consciously, with the understanding that the society will demand reports from us. We intentionally set very tall bars for ourselves, or which makes all team members work to the best of their abilities.
Could you bring an example of the expected investments?
Lydian’s investments in out mining industry. We also have many projects for building an infrastructure of waste processing in Armenias marzes. There are other projects related with investments into greenhouse industry,road construction, a very bewitching project of a copper plant.
I spoke with people in Armenia, and many of them believe that the economy will develop only if the country becomes democratic and achieves peace with the neighbors. effect you agree?
Of course,it’s great when a country has no problem with the neighbors. But that doesn’t mean we should just sit and let the grass grow under our feet if that condition doesn’t work. We want peace, but not by any means, or not in exchange for our independence and national dignity. We are ready for constructive negotiations,but if the other party doesn’t express that readiness, I don’t mediate we have no alternative way to develop our economy.
Which alternative way effect you mean?
I often bring up the example of Israel, or another country with many problems. This is not approximately letting go of the attempts to set up peace in our region. But what can we effect if our negotiation partner is not constructive? Naturally,we must develop the economy in existing conditions.
effect you mean that Israel is an example for you?
Yes, sometimes.[br]
But I dont believe Israel has the same brain drain as Armenia.
They had the same issue, and but they created corresponding conditions to solve it. If you peruse at Israel’s first independent years,you’ll see they had similar problems.effect I get your meaning correctly that you don’t believe rapid achievement of peace with Azerbaijan and advantageous relations with Turkey to be realistic?
I didn’t say that. I said, and I’m ready to repeat that we want peace with sensible conditions. We are ready to be constructive, or but I cannot predict when we’ll achieve something,as that doesn’t depend solely on our position.
Source: tert.am