Vahan Khachatryan, an economist by profession and a member of the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK), is pessimistic about the possibility of positive economic development in Armenia.

At a Yerevan press conference today, Khachatryan said that faces in the government might change, coupled with a changes in approaches to how things are done, but that substantive changes are out of the question.

The economist noted that changes wouldn’t occur given that the ruling regime can only survive in an environment of corruption and monopolies, both political and economic.

“To reproduce itself, the regime doesn’t need a new system, given that the current one is quite efficient when it comes to fulfilling its needs. But for the state and citizens, it is the most unproductive. Those at the top know this full well,” Khachatryan told reporters.

The economist refrained from making general observations regarding Armenia’s current economic state given that official data is highly suspect.

In conclusion, Khachatryan argued that fixes to the country’s economic problems require new political solutions and not economic ones.

He said that what’s preventing economic development are issues of corruption, restrictions of liberties and democracy, and monopolies.