According to Gagik Hamparyan, the authorities of Armenian must explain RF that whatever they had 20-25 years ago, is not there anymore.
It has been a few days since the Armenian-Russian relations are extensively discussed by experts, politicians, and by society in social networks. The incident happened to the Armenian driver, a former freedom-fighter Hrachia Harutyunyan in the RF, it seems, became an opportunity to review the Armenia-Russia relations. Was the case of Hrachia Harutyunyan the main reason, which became an opportunity for general revolt, or other problems were also accumulated, like selling of attacking equipment to Azerbaijan by the RF, and rise in gas prices.
Politician Gagik Hambaryan, in the interview with Aravot stated that the resonance reaction as such is conditioned by absolute fascist reportages broadcasted over Russian television channels. The matter, first of all refers to the “Rossia” TV channel “Vesti” news reporter Olga Skabeeva, who, according to our interlocutor, displayed anti-Armenian posture not typical to non-state TV company. “Russia of Putin is not a democratic country, and if it were not for the Russian government, the reportage would not be, in other words, it was a premeditated state policy. In addition, it obviously appears that the RF does not like Armenia’s complementary policies. This is going on for a long time, but, in the last few months, an overt anti-Armenian policy is taking place, starting from selling of one billion arms to Azerbaijan, which Russian officials and authorities were trying to present it as an ordinary business transaction, which does not correspond to reality at all, up to Hrachia Harutyunyan’s case, as a result of which they were implanting poison against Armenians in the last few days.”
We asked G. Hambaryan that the authorities of Armenia are willing to sign the EU Association Agreement in November in Vilnius, is it possible that it will result in escalation of the Armenian-Russian relations. “Our foreign policy towards RF initially was wrong. We allowed Russians to relocate their military base without a penny to pay, and, for no reason, they say that the military base is for the sake of the interests of Armenians. Absolute lie. In the past 20 years the geopolitical situation in the region has changed so that Russian officials without hiding their cynicism declare that Armenia is their outpost in the South Caucasus. I am asking whether such policy is carried out towards the outpost as it is done by the RF, today. Russians until now live with their stereotypes of 20-25 years ago.
Read also
We must make the Russian society to understand that the military base, which is located in Armenia, and Armenia pays 50 percent of its cost with its poor population, serves at large to protect foreign interests of RF in the South Caucasus, and it is the only foreign military base, which borders with a NATO member country. The Russians do not have any other military base in elsewhere. At the same time, we see that multimillion payments are made in Russian military bases located in Kirghizia, Tajikistan, so that they remain in those countries. And why not to Armenia… We allowed Russians to privatize all of our key strategic aspects. We allowed that the alien to possess all our most important segments, enter our house and lead us in our house as to what relations with whom we should have,”-said G. Hambaryan.
The politician stressed that he did not have any anti-Russian moods, but what happens recently in the Armenian-Russian relations, does not comply with the interests of RA and RF. “Our leaders need to sit down and negotiate, our leaders should make Russian
counterparts understand that it is like that Armenia will get lost without Russians. There is no such a thing, we should explain normally without dispute, without hysteria, without falling into extreme that what you had 20-25 years ago, it not there anymore, and now we should treat just as beneficial not only to you but also to us all. And in most cases, your policy is not beneficial to us.”- said G. Hambaryan.
The politician recalled that noisy events, accidents with the Russians have also occurred in the city of Gyumri. “A few years ago, a couple of drunken Russian soldiers killed several people in the city center, recently car accidents related to the Russians with death outcome have happened in Gyumri, but not only local journalists, but also the country scale media did not try to deride these facts, or the Russians, who are to blame for these crimes, to humiliate before the entire community, and to make dressed in a bathrobe. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenian should make a very clear answer to Russian officials, and the media, who allow themselves to act from the position of a nationalist, fascist and humiliating person,”-said Hambaryan.
The deputy director of “Caucasus” institute Sergey Minasyan thinks that, over the past days, two factors worked in the moods of the Armenian-Russian relations. First, the issue of increasing gas prices, supplying weapons to Azerbaijan, the issue of choosing the EU-Eurasia Union, according to him, all of these played a role. Now HRD is writing letters regarding the story of the feminine robe, while more than a month ago there was no response by the Armenian society and relevant authorities for more terrible act, raping,- noted our interlocutor.
The politician believes that there is also another factor that has been added to the reaction of the last few days. “After the factual presidential and mayoral elections, the political opposition is not almost seen, and there are no other means of expressing discontent. And it is a fact that the majority of the public is dissatisfied. And this reason became a convenient opportunity for civil society to show it attitude not only to the RF, but the authorities, as well. These were not ethnic anti-Russian complaints, but against more specific bodies. We saw identification towards the authorities and RF. During demonstrations in front of the RF Embassy, criticism was also voiced towards the President and MFA. All this was also a good opportunity for civil society to express their dissatisfaction with the social and political situation.”
Speaking about the announcement made by the RF Embassy in Armenia, on the eve, and our observation whether it does not contain escalation to some extent, S. Minasyan disagreed,- “It is a usual style of working, I would say Gromiko’s style, the RF representatives from all over the world are using the same vocabulary. During these days, the question of whether it was not a pressure by RF, on the state level, to dress the driver in a robe is asked. Of course, no. People, who know the reality of Russia, know that this is a situation which one can see everywhere in the RF, and it can be an amazing thing only for people who are trying to see RF in a different way. I think that people who adopt decisions in political-military affairs in RA and RF, clearly understand that there is an emotional understanding to some issues, but as long as the military-political issue between RA and RF is a priority, and it is still a question whether RF or RA is interested in that military-political component, then, I think, the remaining issues would not be so much important.”
EMMA GABRIELYAN
