The Armenian authorities are attempting to undervalue Russian assets in order to force their owners to sell them off, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council Alexey Shevtsov told reporters. "We see indications that Russian industrial and infrastructure companies in Armenia could become the next targets of forced takeovers," he said. As he mentioned, arguments are being put forward that these specific companies are underfunded, that they have a negative impact on the investment climate, that their operation causes environmental damage, and that employee wages are low.
"This is being done in order to undervalue Russian assets and force owners to dispose of them," claimed Alexey Shevtsov. The Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council warned that such tactics could harm the Armenian economy itself. "Such a tactic will truly be a 'shot in the foot' for the Armenian economy," he stated, emphasizing that Russian businesses have created tens of thousands of jobs in Armenia and manage their assets legally and effectively, contributing significantly to the country's GDP.
Shoigu: "Forced takeovers"
Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergey Shoigu had previously stated that a hostile attitude and blatant double standards are being observed against Russian businesses operating in Armenia. According to him, what is happening to businesses and entire sectors in which Russia has invested billions can be characterized as corporate raiding.
Allegations of pressure on Pashinyan's opponents
"We observe that official Yerevan is exerting pressure not only on Russian businesses, but also on Armenian entrepreneurs who disagree with the policies of [Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan and belong to the political opposition," Shevtsov stated. As he highlighted, "the economic 'whip' and corporate raiding are turning into a fully functional tool for the Armenian authorities," aiming, according to him, to create more favorable conditions for themselves at the expense of Russian companies and their employees, as well as to eliminate the political field of action for their main rivals.
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