By Robert Aydabirian and Alexandre Armen Kouyoumdjian
We traveled across Armenia, from north to south — from the valleys of Tavush to the winding roads of Syunik. We did not come here as tourists, but as witnesses. We wanted to hear from those who keep the country standing, day in and day out. We met with directors and teachers from vocational schools, as well as heads of rural communities and farmers. We spoke with staff from charitable foundations, gendarmerie officers and representatives of the Civil Security service who arrived from France, as well as officials from Armenian military academies. These numerous conversations leave the impression that the country is in motion — though not yet at the pace demanded by historical realities.
What Is Showing Progress?
Roads are being reconstructed, section by section, bringing together regions that had long been isolated from one another. Four data centers have been established, enabling Armenia to secure its place on the region’s digital map. Irrigation canals have been renovated; for the rural residents of the Syunik plains, this makes the difference between losing a harvest and having a harvest ready for sale. In vocational schools, we saw workshops equipped with modern machinery, as well as enthusiastic instructors dedicated to training the specialists the country needs. Charitable foundations are carrying out patient — and often invisible — work to support families and rural communities. Cooperation with France in the fields of the gendarmerie and civil security is yielding results; there is an ongoing exchange of working methods and experience. Furthermore, military academies have also begun their own modernization process. In each of these areas, we encountered competent and goal-oriented individuals. The country does not lack energy or drive.
What, Then, Is Hindering Development?
It is not a lack of will, but rather a missing link — the mechanism that transforms will into tangible results. The diagnosis is the same everywhere — sometimes expressed with restraint, at other times with a sense of weariness. First and foremost, there is a shortage of technical and managerial expertise. At times, equipment arrives faster than the skills required to operate and maintain it.
