EN
15 July 2009 - 10:28 AMT

JEEN labels Armenia as less capable to resist crisis

Joint Eurasian Expert Network (JEEN) represented the first Resistibility Rating of crisis effects in economic, political and socio-cultural fields which included all countries of ex-Soviet space except for the Russian Federation.

The Rating is the first in a series of resistibility ratings to crisis effects in the countries of the ex-Soviet space. The basis for making the Rating became the results of interrogation carried out among experts in the ex-Soviet space, political scientists, observers, journalists and also state government bodies. Each expert assessed the aspects according to which it was possible to judge resistibility to the crisis effects in each separate country on a ten-point scale.

The obvious leader of the Rating is Kazakhstan. The political situation in the country is characterized by experts as stable enough: rearrangements in authorities (6), rotation of elites (6) and a high level of frustration in the environment of elites (6), presence of uniform economic block in the government (7) and the highest level of development of crisis management program (9), its efficiency (7), governmental support of the priority branches of economy (8), significant national currency movement (7), credit defaults (7), social stability (7) and a sufficient level of credit of authorities (7), according to a ten-point scale.

Then, Azerbaijan and Belarus follow. Armenia comes the last, along with Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The political situation in Armenia is estimated by experts as stable enough, presence of uniform economic block in the government (7), significant national currency movements (8), reduction of import (7), change of quality of consumer goods basket, level of credit of the authorities is significant (6). 

Russia was not included in the Rating. Being one of the largest states in the world in all its aspects Russia’s inclusion in the Rating would push all other states to the sidelines, the JEEN said.