Epress.am News from Armenia
Moscow’s decision to cease the export of wheat is a cause for concern for the global market and it’s not any less terrifying for Armenia, which imports large volumes of wheat, said former president of the Central Bank Bagrat Asatryan at a press conference today.
As for how much of an effect Russia’s decision will have on Armenia, according to Asatryan, depends on the type of contracts Armenian importers have with Russia; in the case of long-term contracts, the effect won’t be great.
Taking into account the fact that a sharp rise in the price of wheat was recorded in Armenia today (in particular, the price of one sack of flour increased by 2%), Asatryan said that essentially it’s evident that Armenian consumers felt the change in a single day, which, according to Asatryan, is absurd since that wheat was purchased weeks ago.
“We have already suffered and we will continue to suffer under such economic policy conditions. The free market is [our] salvation: the policy of monopoly must be eliminated, the system must be dismantled,” said Asatryan.
Asked whether a public resistance will rise up in Armenia, Asatryan said that an Armenian citizen’s basic sign of protest is to leave the country.
“This is an Armenian’s defining quality: he won’t even discuss a social[ly relevant] issue with his neighbor,” he said.