Robert Kocharyan: The more Armenian authorities speak of anti-corruption fight, the more these problems deepen

The Prime Minister's program aimed at combating corruption, bribery and monopolies is what the Government must do on a daily basis, the second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, says in an interview with 2rd.am.  

He says the more they speak of the corruption and monopoles, the more these problems deepen. He notes that the citizens are not optimistic about the Government's intentions.  

On May 12, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan spoke of the fight against corruption, obliging the law- enforcement departments engaged in the field to make regular reports on the process. In case of no progress, the human resources policy will be revised. He said the persons holding state positions and their relatives must not be allowed to participate in the state procurement and the program must be implemented on the government funds. He said all these measures are impossible unless there is sustainable and long-term economic growth that will allow creating new jobs and reducing social tension.  The prime minister admitted that the government was not consistent enough in fighting monopolies. On February 12, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan also said that it is time to change a lot of things.  Meanwhile, many partners of Armenia, including the EU and the US, have already stated that they are going to provide no financial assistance for combating corruption until they see specific and tangible results.