Charles Aznavour says Armenia is ruled by mafia
By Rashid Shirinov
Armenia is in a great danger, said famous French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour.
Aznavour, who is also Armenia’s ambassador to Switzerland and UNESCO, revealed the horrific social and economic situation in the country while talking to the Nouvelles d'Armenie newspaper on March 8.
“Not 3.6 million, as the authorities claim, but 2.3 million people live in Armenia. And the daily deterioration of the situation in Armenia benefits the rich hooligans and members of the mafia,” Aznavour noted.
The envoy said that the reason why people in droves leave the country is due to the fact that the Armenian government is doing nothing for them.
“I know unbearable stories about the mafia of Armenia. Farmers are starving on their lands – mafia members and criminals do not let them live,” said Aznavour, who has repeatedly criticized the Armenia government and the ruling regime for its political and economic failures.
The economy of the country remains critical, demonstrating unbelievably low indices each year. Descending economy, high poverty and increasing outflow of people are the pure realities in Armenia, which lack any governmental scenario or program to change the situation.
Despite all the showy attempts of the government to overcome the poverty in Armenia, the situation remains the same. The Statistical Service gave a whole picture of the doleful situation, noting that 29.8 percent of the Armenian population lives in poverty. This is even more than it was in 2008 – 27.6 percent were poor eight years ago.
Meanwhile, Armenia’s external debt is growing, as well as the budget deficit. Armenia’s domestic and external debts stand now at about $5.4 billion, accounting for 54% of GDP. Moreover, the economic growth is significantly lower than it was foreseen.
Besides, the conflicts with neighbors, including the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, territorial claims, and nonsense about the so-called “Armenian genocide” do not allow the country to join any regional project and gain any benefits.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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