THERE IS NO POVERTY IN ARMENIA:HURRIYET

There is no poverty in Armenia anymore: Hurriyet16:01 / 04/01/2010
Renowned Turkish political expert Mehmet Ali Birand touched upon his trip to Armenia in his article published in the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review. NEWS.am posts the excerpts.
“There is an urban legend existing for some time. According to that, Armenia is so poor that it wants the borders to Turkey to open as soon as possible. This way either they can leave for Turkey easily or improve their quality of life with an increase in trade. This legend may have been true to some extent in the 1990s.I went to Yerevan a few times in the 90s and I indeed encountered a very poor Armenia.
With independence in 1992 it slowly started to change and today the improvement in Yerevan has really stunned me. Streets have been repaved. Cobblestone pavement or trolley rails cutting into tires have been replaced with streets looking new and clean. Shopping alleys with their glamorous lights and foreign brands reflect people’s purchasing power. The abundance of restaurants, casinos and nightclubs has stunned me. Previously the number of movie theaters not exceeding two or three in this capitol of 1.5 million now has a very colorful nightlife. Don’t get me wrong. Based on what I wrote in the beginning please don’t think that Armenia has become rich and people are living a gorgeous life now. What I am trying to say is that there is no poverty anymore. To describe Armenia’s general situation it would be more correct to say &‘they are living a moderate lifestyle.’
In case the borders are kept closed, Armenians will continue living the way they used to live for the past 17 years and they are not willing to do anything to provide for the opening of the borders.
To tell the truth, no one knows how much the opening of borders will contribute to Armenia’s economy. But we should not forget that not only Armenia will benefit from this contingency, but also Turkey.
Armenia, through Turkey, will be able to open up to Middle Eastern and European markets. It will be able to increase the export of goods and import goods cheaper compared to present conditions. With the opening of borders tourism from Europe and the Armenian community in Turkey will increase. It will also be able to use Turkey’s Black Sea and Mediterranean ports to spread trade. Turkey will also encounter important benefits from the opening of the borders. Regions like Van and Kars will revive in trade and tourism. Goods of Turkish origin will be cheaper in the Armenian market due to short cuts in transportation currently transportation is via Iran and Georgia which makes import quite expensive. More importantly Turkey will reach Middle Eastern markets easier.”
News from Armenia - NEWS.am