Expert: USAID closure to have a positive impact on Armenia`s energy  policy

ArmInfo. The closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will directly benefit Armenia's energy policy, according to political scientist Vahe Davtyan.  "It is obvious that the closure of USAID  will inevitably lead to a decrease in the dynamics of liberalization of Armenia's energy policy. And I believe this is a positive development," the expert noted.

Davtyan recalled that it was this organization that actually  developed and implemented the program to liberalize the Armenian  electricity market, which had negative consequences. According to  him, it was this organization that developed the Energy Development  Plan for Armenia until 2036, which actually raises doubts about the  future of the "peaceful atom" in the country. The expert pointed out   that with this plan, USAID justifies the necessity of constructing  small modular experimental stations that have not yet been tested and  prioritizes the development of renewable energy.

Davtyan also highlighted that this plan overlooks the significance of  the Iranian direction, which is crucial for Armenia's energy sector.  "It was this organization that introduced an absurd, essentially  unscientific method: assessing the country's energy security and  independence based on the volume of imported energy resources," the  political scientist concluded.

According to independent economic analysts, over the years of its  work in Armenia, USAID has brought a lot of negativity to the natural  process of forming economic and social institutions. This has  resulted in the destruction of the natural dynamism of growth within  the framework of institutional development. The programs developed by  the agency, as a rule, have generally worsened the situation various  economic spheres due to the adoption and financing of unviable  programs with external negative impacts.