Human rights defender Arbak Khachatryan believes that the Presidents Armenia and Ukraine should be hung up for treating their own people like experimental rabbits.
– These days, the summit in Vilnius has launched, to which the states were preparing, and on its eve, it turned out that the key documents that were prepared to be signed in the summit, will not be signed. However, these same countries would participating in the summit at the presidential level. Is it possible to have a turn of events in Vilnius, what are the expectations from the summit?
– In my opinion, there would be a puppet diplomacy in Vilnius. The Presidents of the countries that are under pressure, and who had changed their decision, proceed with a dual policy, if one can use such a term, to avoid saying any extra word, to avoid doing any unnecessary move, so that Russia will not get angry and be offended, to say a thing that is possible to show on spot that the relationship with Europe will be continued. In other words, nothing serious can happen in the Vilnius summit. Especially, when recent developments showed that any volume and quality of work that the state performs for a period of time, can be drastically changed from the meetings of both. Today, the Presidents of Armenia and Ukraine clearly showed that their state apparatus is not working. It is true that they are at different levels in these two countries, taking into account Ukraine’s geographical area, the size of the country, and the degree of economic development versus Armenia, but both presidents have clearly demonstrated that there is no state apparatus and diplomatic corps in their countries.
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For this very reason, too, we should not have great expectations from Vilnius summit. Of course, every walking greeting, smiling, signing a meaningless paper, provocative biting at the meetings and so on, will receive different interpretations, but there will be no substantial and serious agreements. Especially, Europe is accustomed to a different way of working, and will manage its penalties otherwise. They will make it evident in future relations. Realizing of whom and what kind of figures it is dealing with, Europe will not go for drastic measures in Vilnius, like Russia.
– As a result of this entire EU-CU political turmoil, perhaps, unexpected aspects were displayed for many people: friendship of peoples and nations has become a topic of speculation. There are anti-Russian moods in Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova, and, earlier, in Georgia and more. Accordingly, there is hostile attitude towards these people in Russia. How would you comment?
– It is, perhaps, the most essential and important issue in this whole story. Unless the political leaders of these countries do not understand that they are the first responsible persons for the fact that, for example, there are anti-Russian sentiments in Armenia, that there are anti-Caucasian rebellions in Russia, we will not achieve anything. People surrounding today’s political figures must be accountable together with them, even by returning the money stolen from these countries. The leader of Armenia and Ukraine are well aware that a large part of their people is in Russia’s territory, are working and living there, that their countries are in strategic ties with Russia: gas, energy carriers; Russian base is deployed in Armenia, Russian troops are standing at the border of Armenia, and so on. What were they thinking for three or four years, when they were negotiating on signing the EU Association Agreement? People are not experimental rabbit to play with for four years and then change, aren’t they? Initially, it should be clear for any political leader that if you are in an economic, political dependence on a country, you cannot change your path until the grounds for independence are laid. Today, not only economic issues were put at stake, but also an ethnic hatred was established, which in my opinion, will still grow. Do you understand that they created hostility between nations and peoples with their policies, and, nowadays, they are quietly leading this game, without even accept their guilt. And, this was to be expressed by resignations.
I, certainly, do not justify Russia’s policy, whose drastic steps resulted in deeper hatred. However, the president of Ukraine declares that they are delaying the EU Association Agreement for six months. In other words, they will avail themselves for the opportunity of Russia, and then will decide. Is it a statement of a political figure? Unfortunately, in Ukraine, Armenia and other post-Soviet countries, there are such political figures with their surroundings, the majority of which were in jail for murdering, or raping still in USSR period. These political figures, who conduct laboratory experiments over people, even sentencing them to death by hanging is not enough. Who should be accountable for the hatred, which is rooted in today’s youth? How many years are necessary for it to come out from people and stop growing? Now, the states, to which it is beneficial that Armenians and Russians become enemies, will start pouring water into the mill. God forbid a homicide happens somewhere on the national ground.
There are elderly women in Russia with whom you speak on the street, they say, «молодец Путин, давно надо было, этим хохлам…» (well gone, Putin, you should have long ago, these topknots…), but do not know what is the matter about. I urge the public to refrain from such approaches, not to be driven by the whims of their leaders and their surroundings, who are ready for every step to fill in the budget and as if to come out with a clear conscience, as if to cover their robbery.
– How will you comment the upcoming visit of the President of Russia to Armenia, especially when there are anti-Putin sentiments in Armenia? Calls are voiced on holding huge rallies, also against the decision of CU membership.
– Putin is the President of a powerful country. I think, on visiting Armenia, Putin is coming to a country knowing that he is giving, roughly speaking, bread to more than half of the country in Russia: opportunity to work and live. But, in my opinion, Putin’s visit to Armenia is wrong for Russia and Armenia. Putin should not work with people who let him know that as of today an anti-Putin opinion is formed in Armenia. Putin should not have worked. Putin is thinking about the interest and capacity of his country. Today, I don’t want to talk about the mistakes he did on the way. He wants to control the areas in the region, therefore, he visits Armenia, but he should not work with today’s leaders of Armenia.
– Do you allude that the President of Russia should impose change of power in Armenia?
– No. Just not to work with the current leadership of Armenia. Putin thinks that he had helped Armenia that today Armenians are working and sending money to their family members living in Armenia. However, there are anti-sentiments towards him in Armenia. It means that the flattering that Armenia’s leadership was doing with Europe, was not only a trial over the head of his country people, but also a policy against Russia. If Armenia was not going to Europe, why was all this done, why people were subjected to experiment, why the country was suffered from hunger, the economy did not develop and so on. In other words, the policy that was led was against Russian, and now again working with these leaders, I think it is wrong. Because of this policy, today, Europe and the United States also accuse Russia, which is fighting for its interests. But if these countries did not have the ground to choose the right way to provide Armenia’s and NKR’s security with Europe, to develop the economy, to bring people back, why was this experience for?
Nelly GRIGORYAN
