YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The Economist has named Armenia “Country of the year 2018”, at the same time noting that ‘it was a tricky choice’. The magazine stressed that the annual award celebrates progress.

“Which country improved the most in the past year?” the article says.

The article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline "Ovation nation"

“A stellar performance in one year is no guarantee of future success. Last year’s pick, France, is now racked by riots. Myanmar, our winner in 2015, has regressed bloodily”, The Economist says, adding that they have considered a few countries for this year’s annual choice – Britain, Ireland, Ecuador, Peru, South Africa.

Eventually, The Economist narrowed down the list to three countries – Malaysia, Ethiopia and Armenia.

Noting the developments in Ethiopia, The Economist concluded that “Autocracies, alas, seldom die quietly”, and went on to describe the Armenian events.

“Yet in Armenia that is exactly what seems to have happened. The president, Serzh Sargsyan, tried to dodge term limits by making himself into an executive prime minister. The streets erupted in protest. Nikol Pashinyan, a charismatic and bearded former journalist and MP, was swept into power, legally and properly, on a wave of revulsion against corruption and incompetence. His new party alliance won 70% of the vote in a subsequent election. A Putinesque potentate was ejected, and no one was killed. Russia was given no excuse to interfere. A note of caution: Armenia’s nasty territorial dispute with Azerbaijan has not been resolved and could ignite again. However, an ancient and often misruled nation in a turbulent region has a chance of democracy and renewal. For that reason, Armenia is our country of the year. Shnorhavorum yem!” The Economist said, congratulating Armenia in a transliterated congratulation.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan