Corruption cracks Armenia's relations with U.S.
By Laman Sadigova
Corruption is a serious problem for Armenia and plays an important role in the daily life of the country, U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills said in the exclusive interview with local radio.
After establishing the Anti-Corruption Council in Armenia, the West almost did not comment on the impact it caused.
Now, Mills said in case this problem is not solved, it could indeed impact on the bilateral relations between the U.S. and Armenia, particularly when it comes to investments.
In order to attract American investment, investors should be assured that everyone is treated equally here in Armenia and there is no unfair competition as public services are available for everyone, the ambassador believes.
He said if the Anti-Corruption Council established by the Armenian government would not solve these problems, it will hurt investment opportunities.
The Anti-Corruption Council, supported by the European Union and the United States Agency for International Development, formally began operations at the end of July 2015.
It is supposed to include opposition and civil society members as well as government officials in its ranks, but no one from the opposition or non-governmental organizations has joined because of skepticism about its credibility.
The European Union Delegation to Yerevan contributed €1.5m towards two anti-corruption projects in 2011-14, and has announced plans to allocate another €21m to promote transparency and civil service reform.
However, the situation has shown no signs of change. The Armenian authorities are not showing much effort in solving this problem.
The Armenian people are trying to take the initiative in their hands by establishing public initiatives like “No robbery!” but no progress has yet been achieved.
---
Follow Laman Sadigova on Twitter: @s_laman93
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz