The main concern of those who have provided it, as with other newly independent states, is the lack of the transparency and accountability they feel is necessary to guarantee proper use of the money. In a recent issue, the magazine published a large map of Armenia, which was divided between a number of men, each of whom has his own different interests. That is the question. And it's a good question. The markets are full of goods, mostly imported and expensive.
Life is very tough, and the formula for economic survival often tests the bounds of credibility.
The capital Yerevan, meanwhile, is crammed with expensive shopping centres. The streets are full of luxury cars, and at night lights beam from nightclubs and gambling shops which crowd round almost every street corner. Armenians already spend many long hours in front of their TV sets, especially when foreign films and serials are being shown. Now, lottery shows on the national channels have their own captive audience, who are always being reminded just how lucky Armenians traditionally are. Yet the flood of emigrants who leave never to return is a tragedy that is played out every day.