The objective of the present analysis is to assess the execution of the state budget of the RA in the given period. First, we describe the general state of the economy of the RA, namely the driving forces of economic activity, the developments in individual sectors of the economy. Afterwards, we analyze the performance of government revenues and expenditures by comparing the actual and planned values of the respective indicators. We conclude the analysis by summarizing the main observations and results. Full material is only available in Armenian.

In 2021 the highest rate of inflation of the past 10 years was registered, which is driven by both external and internal factors. High inflation has had significant negative socio-economic consequences, that are analysed in this study.

The paper presents the macroeconomic implications of accelerating inflation and raising interest rate of the Central Bank of Armenia (as a response to high inflation), as well as the effects of inflation on the living standards of the population.

The results show that inflation has significantly slowed down the real growth of the population's income. At the same time, the income growth of those with high living standards was significantly higher than that of the socially vulnerable population, resulting in increased income inequality. Moreover, due to the leading increase in the prices of primary consumer goods, the increase in prices was 8.5% for the poorest households and 6.1% for the richest.

In these conditions, in 2022. As a result of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, since February 2012, world prices for energy and food have risen sharply, which will inevitably lead to an acceleration of inflation in Armenia (already noticeable in March), meaning that that the negative effects described above will go deeper in 2022. Full material is only available in Armenian.

The article discusses the programme approaches to the Artsakh issue presented by the Government of the Republic of Armenia on April 13-14, during the discussion of the 2021 budget execution at the sitting of the National Assembly. It addresses the references made with regard to the conflict settlement documents, the issues related to Artsakh's self-determination and Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, statements made on behalf of the international community, issues related to the settlement of the conflict with the consent of Azerbaijan, the aims and objectives of the lawsuit filed by Armenia in the International Court of Justice, the possibility of concluding a "peace treaty" between Armenia and Azerbaijan and its consequences, the principles put forward by Azerbaijan in this regard, as well as the self-assessment of the activities of the RA Prime Minister. The analysis of the views on these issues and the comparison of the results show that regardless of a non-specific style of programme approaches, the focused development of key ideas and the subsequent use of destructive approaches suggest that, in terms of content, a comprehensive position was presented on the issues vital for the country, which can be unconditionally considered as programmatic. It is argued that the total use of systematic combinations of lies, tricks and deceit is fraught with serious consequences. Moreover, the danger of the presented steps of the program and further developments increases significantly amid the decisive stage of the struggle to establish a new world order. Under the current extremely difficult and dangerous situation created for Armenia and Artsakh, the mission of the Armenian opposition needs to be reformulated. It is necessary to make serious inquiries into the mistakes made in the previous two stages of the struggle, to get rid of promises and exhortations conditioned by external impulses, as well as of artificial underestimation of internal factors ("the people are not ready yet", etc.). The ways and means of political activity must be radically reconsidered. The will to exclude the expression of fragmented interests, to exclude the repetition of mistakes in the whole period following the re-establishment of independence, as well as the determination to build free and fair Republic of Armenia and Republic of Artsakh capable to defend itself and its citizens must be clearly stated. Otherwise, the opposition will become the same accomplice of past and future disasters as the current government is with its words. Full material is only available in Armenian.

In this article, we tried to figure out what the database of the arms transfer program of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is, to what extent it reflects the real picture of the arms trade, and what interesting indicators about Armenia are hidden there. Full material is only available in Armenian.

In the present analysis, given the data published by the Statistical Committee of the RA, we study the recent social-economic developments in the economy of the RA. In particular, we consider the cumulative indicator of economic activity of the given month, its sectoral distribution, as well as the dynamics of individual sectors of the economy. We also analyze economic developments in the foreign trade, labour market and fiscal system of the RA. In addition, some aspects of the financial system (inflation, deposits and loans), as well as the behaviour of the exchange rate, are touched upon. Full material is only available in Armenian.

Demographic problems are an integral part of the modern world. Armenia has faced demographic problems (low birth rate, emigration, ‘brain drain’, etc.) since independence. After the so-called revolution, the newly formed Government of the Republic of Armenia proclaimed a sharp increase in the population of the country, due to a significant reduction in the rate of emigration and an increase in repatriation, as one of the main factors of development, including economic, of the Republic of Armenia. What we have today? What steps have been taken by the government to achieve the mentioned goals? This study addresses these issues, as well as analyses the impact of demographic problems and emigration on the Armenian economy. The full material is available only in Armenian.

The Ministry of Justice has initiated another “reform” that puts the independence of the judiciary under further threat. Initially, the Ministry attempted to carry out the “reform” in an easy way, only defining a new incompatibility requirement for judges, which should serve as a ground for immediate termination of the powers of the judge. Meanwhile, after receiving a critical opinion from the Venice Commission, the Ministry was obliged to revise the draft proposal. However, the Ministry of Justice ignored core remarks of the Venice Commission relating to the impermissibility of giving retroactive effect to new grounds of termination of the powers of a judge. As a result, the Ministry created the illusion that the amended draft law is in line with the observations of the Venice Commission, while the reality is entirely different. Full material is only available in Armenian.

In the present analysis, given the data published by the Statistical Committee of the RA, we study the recent social-economic developments in the economy of the RA. In particular, we consider the cumulative indicator of economic activity of the given month, its sectoral distribution, as well as the dynamics of individual sectors of the economy. We also analyze economic developments in the foreign trade, labour market and fiscal system of the RA. In addition, some aspects of the financial system (inflation, deposits and loans), as well as the behaviour of the exchange rate, are touched upon. Full material is only available in Armenian.

The budget execution report of Yerevan represents the main results – achievements and failures - of activities of the city council in the given period. It shows by how much the actual revenue collection deviates from the planned level. Additionally, the report demonstrates whether the expenditures were made in accordance with the prespecified plan. The budget execution report of Yerevan also characterizes the structure of actual revenues and expenditures. The goal of the present analysis is to study the foregoing report and to make necessary conclusions. Full material is only available in Armenian.

Since the Cold War, and also after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the informal Anglo-Saxon leaders of the collective West, the US and the UK have sought to establish loyal regimes in the countries of the Middle East, Central Asia and the post-Soviet space in order to serve them to their own geopolitical and geo-economic interests. This process could not take place without a certain ideological accompaniment. Initially, the countries and peoples of the region were offered the model of Western democracy and the Western path of development as a "compensation" for the "desired" geopolitical choice. However, the ideological failure of the US in the Middle East and Afghanistan forced the West to reconsider its long-term strategy in this matter.

An interesting "coincidence": the transformation of US policy in the Middle East was accompanied by a change in the political system in Turkey. For the peoples of the region, first of all the political elites, the "Turkish authoritarianism" wrapped in religious (Sunni) and ethnic (Turkiс) ideological threads is much more perceptible and exemplary. In fact, the West, in the form of a new Turkish authoritarian model, offers the countries of the region a choice between "ethnic-religious authoritarianism" and "secular authoritarianism" that is encouraged by China and Russia. Full material is only available in Armenian.