YEREVAN, JUNE 11, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan and other government officials held a video-conference with prominent economist Daron Acemoglu, the acclaimed ethnic Armenian economist who was personally contacted by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shortly after his election for assisting in restoring the country’s economy, the government’s press service said.

The Prime Minister presented the upcoming projects and priorities of his Cabinet.

The economist mentioned that it is the right time to initiate short-term, mid-term and long-term institutional reforms with a political orientation, in the areas of justice, improvement of financial systems and investment environment – which, in his words, must be concrete actions in order to have results in a certain period of time. Acemoglu attached importance to introducing flexible mechanisms of institutional counter-balances in different branches of the government, which will guarantee ruling out corruption, increase of transparency.

“As a result of the incumbent Cabinet’s activity, citizens feel their involvement in politics. Many people are truly excited in Armenia now, they really want to be a part of politics,” Acemoglu said.

Acemoglu expressed readiness to assist the Armenian government in any format in the tasks of development, democratization and implementation of reforms.

The sides agreed to have similar discussions in the future also.

Earlier on May 13, five days after being elected Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan said that he has phoned Daron Acemoglu, the acclaimed ethnic Armenian economist. Acemoglu was born to Armenian parents in Turkey and holds dual Turkish/US citizenship.  

According to Pashinyan, the economist had said that he is ready to assist Armenia in restoring and developing the economy. “Mr. Acemoglu accepted my invitation to visit Armenia”, the PM had said.

The ethnic Armenian Turkish-American economist has been teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for many years. He is considered a global authority in modern economics.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan