Martha Ayvazyan, former head of RA MFA NATO department, about practical steps and programs of our “strategic partner” against our interests
– On September 3, in Moscow, Serzh Sargsyan expressed the desire of Armenia “to join the Customs Union, and to be engaged in the process of formation the Eurasian Economic Union.” If Armenia, nonetheless, becomes the member of this structure, in what way it is possible to do, through a referendum, amending the clauses of the Constitutional that are not subject to amendment, in other words, endangering the sovereignty and independence of Armenia.
– According to the RA legislation, the RA President, the National Assembly and the Government have the right to appoint a referendum. In other words, holding a referendum is totally dependent on the desire of the authorities. The authorities, in their turn, insist that joining the CU is not in conflict with our Constitution, the legislation, and absolutely does not endanger our independence and sovereignty. And no matter what threats joining the CU actually contains, I consider holding any referendum at this moment is unlikely. So, if the CU membership documents are signed, then they will pass through the procedures stipulated by our legislation for the international agreements. The situation can be changed if there are serious protests against this decision, pressures initiated by the vast layers of society and political opposition, or if the authorities or a part of the authorities, for whatever reasons, decide extend or even subvert the process in the framework on NA or even through a referendum.
– Recently, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan during the meeting with the students of the Russian Slavic University expressed an opinion that defense capability of our neighbors is increasingly becoming the offensive capabilities, and in this respect, “provision of our security would be extremely difficult without Russia, if it were only Azerbaijan, we would not have a problem.” On the background to justify the statement on desire of joining the CU, we recently also come across to justification from the ruling RPA party that “it is a security issue.” Who ensures our security, and how is ensured and how it should be ensured from now on, and whether it’s possible only through joining the CU?
Read also
– It is evident that joining the CU is in contrast to economic as well as political interests of the Republic of Armenia and our citizens. Given the fact to the CU character, geographic format and structure, we can also say that Armenia’s membership for this organization, unlike Ukraine, is absolutely not important. Therefore, this move, which Serzh Sargsyan did as a result of pressure and blackmail, to the point, the main object of blackmail, in my opinion, was the issue of Sargsyan’s tenure and personal safety, is due to the RF’s imperial ambitions and political interests, and not due to the issue of establishment of the CU as an economic structure, and moreover, not to the interests of Armenia. The authorities do not even hide that joining the CU is not due to economic interests, and this decision is continually motivated by the issue of provision of “security” and confronting security “threats”. Generally, speculation on provision of security and intimidation, concealing the real dangers and threats exaggerated for illusory or for political purposes, as well as deliberate distortion of reality with imaginary dangers and cause and effect relationship thereof belonging to different categories and placed in the same spheres, and on different planes to justify their own moves, and to keep the society in misleading, is the most common phenomenon, namely, in Armenia’s political and social life. However, what are the main real intimidations of our security, how they are comparable with the size, quality and content of our military cooperation with Russia, and tolerance of Armenia for the sake of these intimidations to the detriment of their own sovereignty, their own interests, the concession and powers attributed to the RF today. To tell directly that the intimidation of military action by Turkey against Armenia is extremely exaggerated, if not fictional, there is no logical and reasoned justification to the interests of Turkey in case of aggression, while the magnitude of political losses is apparent that Turkey would have as a result of it.
The only real intimidations of our security are due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and, today, the conflict resolution and establishment of sustainable peace is the basic guarantee for their neutralization, which, in its turn, will have a positive impact on Armenia-Turkey relations. Also, it is very important to have reliable and stable relations with Georgia, which are not mediated with interests of other countries. These developments will open the way to full-fledged regional cooperation, and the creation of a single economic space, and in the future, in the range of appropriateness, maintaining bilateral military cooperation with the Russians, it would be also possible to be included in the same security system with three South Caucasus countries, which, in my opinion, is the best option for our security. It is obvious that such developments are contrary to the interests of the RF in the region, whose only “support” in the South Caucasus is Armenia, and who sees the guarantee of its impact and extensive presence in the region only in manipulation of intimidations, tension and preservation of military situation and deepening the dependence of Armenia, up to elimination of sovereignty in practice, and does everything for preservation of this situation. Here are some fresh examples of plans and practical steps of our “strategic partner” that are obviously in contrast to our interests, add tension and intimidation to our security: continuous supply with offensive weapons to Azerbaijan, and incitement of the arms race, extension of the term of military base in Gyumri with the right to participate in RA decision making on associated security and with intimidation of implementing transit through the territory of Georgia without the consent of the Georgian authorities, turning the Stepanakert airport into the Russian military base in exchange for returning some of the territories of NKR to Azerbaijan, and plans under discussion to execute control over the Armenia-Georgian border, and, finally, suspension of signing the EU Association Agreement in the case, when it absolutely was not in contrast to military cooperation with the RF.
– European Commission for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Commissioner Stefan Füle, recently, noted that the European Commission is ready to seek new forms of cooperation with Armenia. Is the EU Association process for Armenia finally lost, or there can be found ways to proceed in this direction?
– For Armenia, the process of development and deepening the relations with the EU, within the framework of the Association Agreement, or in any other format, at this point is not yet lost, even because the EU’s interests in our region, the desire to establish peace and stability in the South Caucasus, did not end with the decision of our authorities to join the CU, and the EU will still continued to seek new forms and ways, and to execute an involvement policy, within the range of possibilities. But the success of this policy, Armenia’s prospect of European integration, the intensity and effectiveness of the EU’s efforts in this direction depends on our internal demand, and on the formation of reliable partners for the EU in the political arena and society of Armenia, and bearing responsibilities for their actions and words. They must be forces whose basis and objective of value system, ideologies and actions would be the national interests of Armenia, and not servicing for the interest of other states; the interests, security and future of RA citizen, and who will be ready to provide the security of Armenia through establishment of stable peace and regional cooperation. However, the factor of the time should always be taken into account, what is appropriate and possible still today, might be useless or even impossible tomorrow, like Armenia’s integration in the conditions of loss of sovereignty and the current volume of emigration.
Emma GABRIELYAN
