Levon Zurabyan proves in numbers failure of Western-oriented policies of Armenia`s current authorities
ArmInfo.Deputy Chairman of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) party Levon Zurabyan proved in
numbers the failure of the Western-oriented policy of the current authorities of Armenia.
Thus, commenting on the results of the meeting of Prime Minister of
Armenia Nikol Pashinyan with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on April 5
in Brussels, Zurabyan drew parallels in numbers between the policies
of the first President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan and the current
leadership of the Republic of Armenia, inviting the reader to
independently draw conclusions about whether this meeting was a
"failure" or a "historic turnaround." Thus, the deputy chairman of
the ANC noted that on July 9, 2021, the European Union announced that
it was ready to provide assistance to Armenia in the amount of 2.6
billion euros (3.1 billion US dollars) over the next five years.
Meanwhile, already on April 5, during the Pashinyan-Blinken-von der
Leyen meeting, it became known that three years after this decision,
the EU and the United States promise to provide Armenia with 270
million euros and 65 million US dollars, respectively, over four
years, that is, in total the complexity of the assistance will amount
to about 360 million US dollars. "In fact, the collective West not
only did not fulfill the promise made earlier, but also reduced the
amount by more than 10 times," Zurabyan noted.
"The question becomes more interesting in light of the assertion of
the Pashinyan team and its "pro- Western" supporters that since 1991
Armenia has adopted the "wrong orientation" and therefore has not
received adequate support from the West.
The fact is that in the nineties, during the years of Ter-Petrosyan
governance, Armenia received assistance from the United States of
America, in particular, $110 million: in 1993, $191 million: in
1994, $217 million: in 1995, $292 million: in 1996, $166 million: in
1997 . Add to this the assistance received from the European Union
under the TACIS program, which in total exceeds $1 billion," the
politician added.
At the same time, he contrasted that in order to compare the
assistance provided to Armenia in the 1990s with the promises made in
2024, the dollar exchange rate should also be taken into account.
According to him, the value of one American dollar in 1993-1997 is
equal to today's 2 dollars. "In other words, even if the announced
promises come true, and the West provides assistance to Armenia over
the next four years, if we take the dollar exchange rate of the early
1990s as a guide, this amount will be only $180 million.
What happens? Having adopted the "wrong orientation" in 1991 (in
fact, pursuing a balanced policy with the West and Russia), Armenia
received 5.5-flod more support from the West in five years than what
the West only promises to give in eight years (from 2021). So, is
this a failure for us or an unprecedented historical turn? I think
the answer is obvious," Zurabyan noted.
At the same time, the deputy chairman of the ANC pointed out the
inappropriateness of criticizing the West, since in this situation it
is doing what it can and considers appropriate for itself. "We just
need to very soberly assess the capabilities and desire of the West
to help us. This is a criticism of Pashinyan's government and the
"false pro-Westerners" who selflessly support it, who deceive our
people in order to cover up their own failures and, solely for the
sake of personal gain, promise mountains of gold and a bright future
in case of a "historical turn" towards the West.