Arman Hayrapetyan: Why does Aliyev need a war if he is getting everything without one
ABC Interview’s guest was Arman Hayrapetyan, a marketing specialist and a What? Where? When intellectual game expert. With Arman we discussed various issues related to our country, ranging from the rise in serious crimes to vehicle safety standards for children. In Arman’s opinion, the country faces an overwhelming number of problems, but often minor issues are brought to the forefront to divert public attention from the major problems.
– You often post about traffic accidents on your social media account, drawing attention to not letting children sit in the front seat.
– Recently, we conducted a survey, and I can give a clear answer to your question. In fact, there are several reasons. One of the reasons is the lack of awareness about the age at which a car seat should be used, or how it protects children. People often don’t fully understand the issue–they know it’s necessary, but they don’t know how to use it properly.
– Years ago, in one of your interviews, you said it is difficult to imagine a government, opposition, and people more suitable for Aliyev. Has anything changed after three years?
– Unfortunately, nothing has changed… We are still being threatened with war, but why does Aliyev need a war if he is getting everything without one—from the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of the people of Artsakh to the cession of territories in Tavush province and other places? They don’t even try to remove the enemy from there, while the people remain silent about this…
– Let’s imagine there is a scale for assessing the degree of danger. How would you assess the level of danger regarding the situation in Armenia according to that scale?
– Although the enemy gets whatever it wants from this government, nothing prevents them from extracting further concessions at some point. They are in a stronger position; they have gained an advantage in all respects. All of this brings us closer to a situation where, if they don’t get what they want, they will take it through war, because there is nothing that would stop them.
– How is Armenia recognized abroad, and is that important?
– I won’t single out one brand, but I will mention one mistake we’ve made for decades. We view tourism as one of our main sectors. Yes, tourism should be developed, and it should receive significant attention, but we cannot consider it one of the main sectors. Let’s remember what happened during Covid. The countries that relied heavily on tourism found themselves in a desperate situation because a large part of their GDP came from tourism revenue. We need to have our own production and become self-sufficient, not reliant on foreign imports.
Interview by Lena Gevorgyan
