Conflict Deepens Between International Companies and Government

The newspaper "Hraparak" reports that, according to our sources, significant dissatisfaction is growing among international companies with foreign shareholdings regarding the Armenian government, and they have decided to unite their efforts. To this end, they are meeting regularly to discuss their situation, their relationships with the authorities, and their future actions.

Among the companies involved in this informal alliance are "Lydian International", "Veolia Water", "Sanitek", some telecom operators, and others.

As their issues have not been resolved over time but rather have increased, there is a general trend towards resorting to arbitration courts. In this regard, "Lydian's" preliminary warning about applying to the arbitration court in three months resonates with them, and the others are awaiting further developments on this issue.

We were told that a legal advisory service is also creating a joint company that prepares the "case" and guarantees victory in court. However, seeking arbitration is fraught with not only substantial financial costs for the state but could also completely eliminate the prospects for foreign investments as a result.

For more details, see today’s issue of the newspaper.