A top new Armenian government official told the National Assembly in unusually blunt terms that Armenia had to move on from its war losses. A key government priority would be unblocking trade and transit routes, he said.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 12.7 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2021 after contracting 5.8 percent in the same period last year.

Voters, obviously tired of a long war with Azerbaijan which had drained its economy, propelled Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party to a huge victory.

The illicit business has boomed as bicycles become a market increasingly being filled with high-end models costing thousands of Euros.