22 replies to this topic

[DominO]

this is quite obviously upsetting, but as fore-mentionned, not a surprise. Armenia must understand that it's only chance at survival comes from the diaspora's money, and they cannot simply play around with the diasporan temper. likewise, the diaspora must come aware of it's enormous lever in the armenian game. one thing for sure is that people like this should not abandon, but continue to hold on. this sort of mentality cannot last forever.

That is BS, it's by such unilateral statments that Armenian will suffer of inferiority complex in regards to the Diaspora, thinking that it can't do anything without the Diaspora.

[MosJan]

New home, new challenges: Diaspora Armenians fight with bureaucracy and set up businesses in Karabakh By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow Karabakh reporter
Carrying water from the spring to home became usual for Iranian Armenian Armond Tahmazian, who has made his home in Stepanakert, Nagorno Karabakh. In summer because of the drought water supply sometimes is stopped and these days the water pipes are frozen in his home and so Tahmazian carries water like thousands of others in Karabakh and Armenia. The Tahmazyans say life is hard in Karabakh but advantages of living there prevail.Tahmazian moved to Karabakh from Iran in 2000, a year after his first visit to the country.

“I was wishing to visit Karabakh long ago, but there were some problems. When I eventually came I found here were many things to do,” says 43 year old Tahmazian.

In 2000 Tahmazian met Artemis Grigorian, an Armenian from Australia in Karabakh, who also was wishing to live in Karabakh. They married, had children and now design plans for the future in the country which they chose to be home for them and their children.

A jeweler by profession, in 2001 Tahmazian together with some friends opened “Nreni” (pomegranate tree) souvenir shop in Stepanakert. Now he wants to enhance the business as well as build a house.

“I do not possess large sums, but my friends have promised to make investments,” Tahmazian says. “We’ve purchased the plot of land to put up a new building for a tourist information center.”

Tahmazian plans that his family will occupy the first floor (they are renting an apartment now) while the other flours will be designed as a hotel.

“In summer my friends, who’ve made investments, will be residing there. The rest of the time we will use the rooms for a hotel, and the revenue from that will go to charity projects,” says Tahmazian.

“Things in Karabakh indeed are changing, but a bit slowly. Life is hard here. Working people come here, and they should be given an opportunity to work and live,” says Tahmazian.

“True, it’s tough, but our two sons are growing up as Armenians here,” adds his wife.

Tahmazian is one of the dozens from Diaspora who decided to reside in Karabakh. Despite the hardships they say that the advantages of living in Karabakh prevail over the problems which they say they are ready to overcome with the rest of Karabakh residents.

In the post-Soviet, post-war and new-building Karabakh many things seem unusual to Diaspora Armenians. Besides essential problems, which stand out for being extra difficult to solve, Armenians from abroad sometimes are surprised by the bureaucratic system. Some left, unable to adjust to the realities; others are still in Karabakh facing the challenges of the transition to democracy.

Shahijanyan thinks the sense of belonging to the land is what matters most, “the rest is just a matter of time.”Zhirayr Shahijanian, another Iranian Armenian has lived in Karabakh for 8 years. He considers himself a successful businessman in Karabakh, although he says that his income is not impressive yet.

Shahijanian first came to Karabakh from his native city of Isfahan in 1996. After spending a few months here he returned back home but in 1999 he moved to Karabakh for a permanent residence.

Shahijanian, 34, married a Karabakhi girl and now lives and works in Stepanakert. In 2002 he and his friends started the construction of a cafe in the center of Stepanakert which opened its doors in 2006.

“Today that business gives me and my friends’ some revenue. We can not regard it as a good profit, nonetheless we do not operate at a loss,” Shahijanian says.

He says the conditions for starting a business in Karabakh and in Iran are incomparable. In Iran, as opposed to Karabakh, there are grounds for developing small and medium businesses, and in terms of bureaucracy the situation is much easier there.

“Nonetheless, Karabakh’s legislative field keeps improving, although I have to admit that there are some shortcomings yet. In general, there are normal conditions for starting a business here,” he says.

Life in Karabakh turned out not so exciting for Rakijian.“Permanent residency and citizenship, I think, are something like a certificate of distinction. What matters is the residents’ attitude thanks to which you start developing bonds with the land, with people; you start walking on this soil feeling proud and strong, feeling that you belong here, you are the master. The rest is just a matter of time,” Shahijanian stresses.

French-Armenian Oliver Rakijian business story in Karabakh turned out not be as successful.

Rakijian moved to Shushi from Paris in 2004. With the permission of the Shushi town administration and municipality he bought 3 premises and opened a center offering computer services, a real estate agency and a souvenir shop. Everything seemed to be running its course, until authorities started to take back his premises.

Rakijian applied to the court, which ruled in favor of him keeping the property, saying that state authorities had been wrong. However the court did not level any punishment nor restitution for about $8,000 that Rakijian paid for one of the properties that was later confiscated (from a total of three for which no restitution was offered).

Rakijian wrote letters to the president and prime minister, and he was promised he would get only $8,000 back, but not the property.

“Often in Karabakh the law is wrongly applied. There is too much bureaucracy. Perhaps, it’s a remnant of the soviet time. As well as the fact that people are used to cheating the state. Bureaucracy generates bribery. Probably people’s mentality will change, once the state is rich,” Artemis Grigoryan says with hope.

[hosank]

That is BS, it's by such unilateral statments that Armenian will suffer of inferiority complex in regards to the Diaspora, thinking that it can't do anything without the Diaspora.

i must disagree here, armenia's great edge over the turkic republics is our diaspora. while turkic oligarchs can allow their countries to sink ever more into the depths of corruption and tair themselves appart, armenia's diaspora acts as a check for those who may want to take advantage in the country. it is also instrumental in it's revitalisation.
i think that the RA and teh AD mutually support each other, as they both need eachother to survive.