In the conversation with Aravot.am, the President of “Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly” Vanadzor office, Artur Sakunts, answering the question of how you tried to interfere with the decision to join the Customs Union, said that the matter is not about interfering, the important part is the public disagreement, secondly, “to show that, nevertheless, not all in Armenia are fond of Russia, and it is not that everybody faints from pleasure on hearing the name of Russia or Putin. There are many citizens in Armenia who do not agree to join the Customs Union, in other words, they highlight the independence of the state. Yesterday’s events showed that it is possible to revolt.”
Answering our next question that the international media referred to yesterday’s events, whether our rating was raised related to it, or the Russia’s rating was dropped, Artur Sakunts said, “Yes, indeed. When your vision about your country goes through only one pipe, for example, North Korea, Cuba, or Russia, the visions about these countries are very sad. And, when there are visions about the country through different pipes, then the diversity talks about the real life of this country. The simple fact that Russian writers and some intellectuals, with their statements, expressed support for rebellious citizens in Ukraine, this already talks that the life in Russia is not dead, and this raised Putin’s rating more rather than Putin’s yesterday’s infamous rating, which once again showed himself as a tyrant, under which Serzh Sargsyan could not utter a word.” According to Artur Sakunts, after yesterday events, the rating of Armenia was changed, and according to him, Ukraine’s rating was also changed, and it became clear that Yanukovych, nevertheless, is not the entire Ukraine, and he is compelled to do the will of his citizens. Artur Sakunts believes that instigators, too, were to be blamed in Ukraine, just as it happened in our case, Shant Harutyunyan’s case. He also added, “In fact, yesterday, the instigators made some steps, but they failed, because the consequences could be much worse.” Artur Sakunts added that the reputation of the state is conditioned by the diversity of opinions about the state.
Eva HAKOBYAN
