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EVEN THE GREATEST LOVE ENDS
Siranuysh Papyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/interview24739.html
Published: 12:51:26 - 29/12/2011
Today, the owner of Le Cafe de Paris Company, French-Armenian
businesswoman Valerie Ashkhen Gortsunyan, left for France. We held
an interview with her before her departure.
Ashkhen, you have been in Armenia for 16 years. Your Le cafe de Paris
was a unique place. How do you dare to leave all this?
I thought a lot what to do. I even tried to persuade my sons to
come here but I could not, and I saw that I can't make them come
here and fight in this atmosphere, which, unfortunately is not yet
close to European standards. It was difficult and sad for me to make
this decision. It is a very difficult moment for me and I appreciate
people's support.
Even a Facebook account was created urging you not to leave.
I never said I'm leaving forever. In order to fight you need economic
means. But my business has gone bankrupt. I'm one of those people
who are out of any standards and it is normal that my business would
go bankrupt one day. Taxes are enormous and, unfortunately, if you
are not like them, you can't resist. This does not mean I failed,
this is a protest.
You noted you will not sell your business to an oligarch. Do you
think about solving this issue by selling it to a person committed
to European values? So, you will no longer be your type?
I don't like saying I am important. The important thing for me is
the staff of Le Cafe de Paris. I want to ensure the will have work.
The person, who is interested in buying it will have to keep the
whole staff.
You have worked during the tenure of all the three presidents. Have
you noticed any tax changes?
When I came to Armenia 16 years ago, I was freed from taxes for
the first 5 years, as a Diaspora investor. Then, during the second
president, I don't remember much difficulty because my husband was
with me. But during the last four years, things only got worse.
Everyone created obstacles for us. Instead of helping me, they created
obstacles and sued me and fined 80 million. I am very much offended.
Are you offended by the activities of the authorities?
Unfortunately, I dealt with the justice and tax services, and I saw
a lot of unfair decisions against me and my company.
Can this be a precedent for other Diaspora businessmen to avoid
investing in Armenia?
I want Diaspora representatives to invest in Armenia. But if someone
asks me about the situation I will explain to them how they should
make investments not to have problems in Armenia because there are
keys you should have after investing.
Recently there has been a lot of discussion on the need for changes
in the country.
In these four years, the first thing that I cannot accept as an
Armenia is the March 1. This was a slap for me as an Armenian.
The change I see is that many more Armenians keep leaving the
country. I see that the population is decreasing and the quality too,
which is worrying for me as a person who loves Armenia. I have met
with young people recently related to my issues, who were intelligent,
resistant and fearless, and this gave me hope.
Is it possible that your ideas are oppositional so it hindered your
relations with the authorities?
It is very much possible. As a woman from the Diaspora who speaks,
I hindered them. If they are not so intelligent to understand that
they and the country need people like me, I was born in France where
people express their opinion without fear, this is the type of person
I am, so I am happy if I troubled them.
What should the country do to stop emigration?
Armenia has an issue of communication with Europe by sea. Inside the
country, we have oligarchy, unfair competition, unreliable economy
and the country doesn't give any opportunities to young people to
succeed. It is necessary to change the economic policy completely
for Armenians to stay here and trust the country. A big change is
necessary, which can be called revolution or change of government.
What did these years give you?
Wealth, in terms of people. I made a lot of friends in Armenia;
I would have never had this chance elsewhere. Thanks to Armenia, I
learned Armenia's reality and history, now I can see the differences
between the Diaspora and Armenia. I reevaluated freedom and after
living in Armenia I started appreciating the freedom I had in France.
Is there any force in Armenia fighting for freedom?
The young people who are civil and I think they will save the future
of Armenia.
You are returning in January...
Yes. When I decided to come to Armenia, all my friends wondered what
I was going to do in this collapsed country. But I decided that I
needed to invest in Armenia. I wanted to enter the economic fight to
participate in the creation of the country. I will come and protest
against the country this way to state that I disagree and that I
have no debts or obligations towards you. This is not the end of my
Armenian story; on the contrary, this is a Renaissance. My love to
Armenia does not end, it will end only when I die...
From: Baghdasarian
Siranuysh Papyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/interview24739.html
Published: 12:51:26 - 29/12/2011
Today, the owner of Le Cafe de Paris Company, French-Armenian
businesswoman Valerie Ashkhen Gortsunyan, left for France. We held
an interview with her before her departure.
Ashkhen, you have been in Armenia for 16 years. Your Le cafe de Paris
was a unique place. How do you dare to leave all this?
I thought a lot what to do. I even tried to persuade my sons to
come here but I could not, and I saw that I can't make them come
here and fight in this atmosphere, which, unfortunately is not yet
close to European standards. It was difficult and sad for me to make
this decision. It is a very difficult moment for me and I appreciate
people's support.
Even a Facebook account was created urging you not to leave.
I never said I'm leaving forever. In order to fight you need economic
means. But my business has gone bankrupt. I'm one of those people
who are out of any standards and it is normal that my business would
go bankrupt one day. Taxes are enormous and, unfortunately, if you
are not like them, you can't resist. This does not mean I failed,
this is a protest.
You noted you will not sell your business to an oligarch. Do you
think about solving this issue by selling it to a person committed
to European values? So, you will no longer be your type?
I don't like saying I am important. The important thing for me is
the staff of Le Cafe de Paris. I want to ensure the will have work.
The person, who is interested in buying it will have to keep the
whole staff.
You have worked during the tenure of all the three presidents. Have
you noticed any tax changes?
When I came to Armenia 16 years ago, I was freed from taxes for
the first 5 years, as a Diaspora investor. Then, during the second
president, I don't remember much difficulty because my husband was
with me. But during the last four years, things only got worse.
Everyone created obstacles for us. Instead of helping me, they created
obstacles and sued me and fined 80 million. I am very much offended.
Are you offended by the activities of the authorities?
Unfortunately, I dealt with the justice and tax services, and I saw
a lot of unfair decisions against me and my company.
Can this be a precedent for other Diaspora businessmen to avoid
investing in Armenia?
I want Diaspora representatives to invest in Armenia. But if someone
asks me about the situation I will explain to them how they should
make investments not to have problems in Armenia because there are
keys you should have after investing.
Recently there has been a lot of discussion on the need for changes
in the country.
In these four years, the first thing that I cannot accept as an
Armenia is the March 1. This was a slap for me as an Armenian.
The change I see is that many more Armenians keep leaving the
country. I see that the population is decreasing and the quality too,
which is worrying for me as a person who loves Armenia. I have met
with young people recently related to my issues, who were intelligent,
resistant and fearless, and this gave me hope.
Is it possible that your ideas are oppositional so it hindered your
relations with the authorities?
It is very much possible. As a woman from the Diaspora who speaks,
I hindered them. If they are not so intelligent to understand that
they and the country need people like me, I was born in France where
people express their opinion without fear, this is the type of person
I am, so I am happy if I troubled them.
What should the country do to stop emigration?
Armenia has an issue of communication with Europe by sea. Inside the
country, we have oligarchy, unfair competition, unreliable economy
and the country doesn't give any opportunities to young people to
succeed. It is necessary to change the economic policy completely
for Armenians to stay here and trust the country. A big change is
necessary, which can be called revolution or change of government.
What did these years give you?
Wealth, in terms of people. I made a lot of friends in Armenia;
I would have never had this chance elsewhere. Thanks to Armenia, I
learned Armenia's reality and history, now I can see the differences
between the Diaspora and Armenia. I reevaluated freedom and after
living in Armenia I started appreciating the freedom I had in France.
Is there any force in Armenia fighting for freedom?
The young people who are civil and I think they will save the future
of Armenia.
You are returning in January...
Yes. When I decided to come to Armenia, all my friends wondered what
I was going to do in this collapsed country. But I decided that I
needed to invest in Armenia. I wanted to enter the economic fight to
participate in the creation of the country. I will come and protest
against the country this way to state that I disagree and that I
have no debts or obligations towards you. This is not the end of my
Armenian story; on the contrary, this is a Renaissance. My love to
Armenia does not end, it will end only when I die...
From: Baghdasarian