Epress.am News from Armenia
“We [Armenia] are the main traditional buyer from Russia, but Russia has ceased the sale of wheat. The price of wheat has increased in the international market, and the retailer, naturally, will reflect that since it’ll be expensive to buy tomorrow,” explained Republican Party of Armenia MP Vardan Ayvazyan in a press conference today on the price of wheat, adding that “an objective reason has occurred.”
Former President of the RA Central Bank Bagrat Asatryan, also participating in today’s press conference, said that such a situation will continue as long as there’s a monopoly in the market. He sees market liberalization as being the way out.
“I’ve numerously stated, there’s one economic rule in Armenia: if the prices go up in the international market, they go up here [in Armenia] too; if the prices go down, they still go up here. We were in a better position in 1994, from a liberalization perspective. This should be cause for serious concern,” he said.
Ayvazyan agreed with this point, however, added that the monopoly began in 1996—97, to which Asatryan responded by saying the following: “If I do something stupid, never repeat that stupidity.”
“I’m saying that you laid the foundation for this: ay, I’ve done something stupid, but why should the people today suffer?” he added.