2nd Summit of the EPP Eastern Partnership leaders took place in the Republic of Armenia a few days ago. Can one consider it as endorsement of incumbent President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan in the context of the presidential election in Armenia? www.aravot.am got commentaries of a set of political analysts in this regard.
Ruben Mehrabyan, an expert of the Center for Political and International Studies, said: “A big part of this is pre-election endorsement. However, the reason for holding that summit in Armenia was not only that endorsement, since serious regional issues in which Armenia plays a big role were raised. Europe is quite interested in solving those issues. For example, the association agreement with the Republic of Armenia, the free trade agreement. All that will be signed and ratified as soon as possible and will become a reality, since here we have Europe’s eastern policy with South Caucasus and Eastern Europe. Barroso said that our cooperation in the Eastern Partnership wasn’t confined only to the economic agenda. Basically we can think that Europe’s candidate is Serzh Sargsyan.” Then Mr. Mehrabyan noted: “Although Serzh Sargsyan is Europe’s candidate, we had additional elections, when we saw both evaporating ink and taking the recorder from a journalist’s hand in front of a camera, we saw a weird candidate whose name doesn’t mean anything to anyone, and he hasn’t made any public statement so far. We saw that although Serzh Sargsyan makes many promises, the criminal oligarchy doesn’t wish to give up its positions in Armenia. And to them elections should be that way. As Napoleon once said, everything is right, but this is basically meanness. I don’t think that such elections can raise much expectation in terms of strengthening relations with Europe. The Republic of Armenia will not get out of the post-Soviet paradigm, mire, the Asian sore. However, our people deserve a better situation and will achieve it.”
Political scientist Levon Shirinyan, in his turn, said that the EPP Eastern Partnership leaders’ 2nd summit could be considered as Serzh Sargsyan’s endorsement. However, he stated at the same time: “I feel bad that one focuses on this. What does it matter whether they endorse or not? It should be considered as a step to increase the role and weight of the Republic of Armenia and not as endorsement of the head of state. The people don’t care who will say what, who will endorse whom. It would be better, if one focused on different things. The people themselves should elect the leader and head of state. The rest are sick things – Europe, as well as Barroso, Putin and Erdoğan. We should elect our head of state.”
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Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
