Is it now already strange to PAP that Armenia is joining the Customs Union?
In the last two days, Armenia’s former foreign minister, PAP MP Vardan Oskanyan is actively analyzing the post-Vilnius period, Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union (CU). He is expressing very interesting ideas over “Kentron” and “Yerkir Media” TV broadcasts.
Ohanyan’s estimates, in particular, are as follows that we shouldn’t have run after Russia, the RA authorities unreasoningly hurried to join the Customs Union, moreover, joining the CU does not generate from Armenia’s interests. And to the contradictions that Armenia would receive gas and weapons from Russia at a cheap cost, he reminded that earlier we were also receiving weapons free and cheap, and these policy could still be continued with Russians.
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Oskanyan is convinced that it is wrong to say that if we did not join the CU, our relations with Russia would become tense, and Armenia’s security would not be protected. And, if such a situation already exists in the Armenian-Russian relations, then, according to Oskanyan, the strategic activities with Russia are proceeding in a wrong way, and if such relationship “are going to break, let them break now.”
Oskanyan reminds his years in power and ensures that Russia has never exerted pressure, has never led the policy of sanctions, has never spoken in the language of blackmail with the RA authorities, consequently, he has noticed that even Russians are surprised at the haste, with which Armenia is joining the Customs Union. .. Oskanyan raises a question of whether Russians imposed sanctions over Azerbaijan for not joining the CU…. “We have provided a base to Russians, we have given the borders, we have given objects of strategic importance the energy is in their hands,” says Oskanyan and explains how the authorities should have done: they should have told Vladimir Putin to say that Armenia is really in need for the European market, and free economic relations with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan could be strengthened in the framework of CIS. And if you do not join the EU Association Agreement, we would lose the opportunity to enter into the most developed EU market, and stronger is Armenia as a Russia’s support, and as a space for Russian base, it would be more beneficial for Russia. The former foreign minister of Armenia recalling his experience in power then notes that Armenia is proceeding in a wrong way. “What? Did Russia now recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh? No. It did not happen and will not happen.”
Everything is more than accurate. It is really hard not to disagree with Oskanyan’s justifications. However, one could doubt his sincerity if we had forgotten the “achievements” of his ten years in power in foreign policy. In the result of the balanced “foreign policy” conducted by the architect of “complementarity”, Vardan Oskanyan, and former President Robert Kocharyan, Armenia’s strategic objectives were given to Russia, for the “debt” of 113 million dollars under “Assets for the dept” deal. To remind that several enterprises were handed over to Russia: Mergelyan Institute of Mathematical Machines, Hrazdan SRPP without the fifth energy unit, which later was also sold to Russia, Mars factory – for the debt of only 113 million dollars, whereas, today, the last 20% of “Armrusgasprom” was handed over to Russians for 155 or 300 million dollars.
Now, if we believe Oskanyan’s words, RF authorities have never exerted pressure, do not speak in the language of blackmail. Much better. In this case, Kocharyan and Oskanyan should have explained the RF authorities that handing the strategic objects to Russia for the debt of $ 113 million, to put it mildly, is not right. Or, they did not have the opportunity to do otherwise.
In the result of Kocharyan’s and Oskanyan’s policy, Armenia’s almost entire energy system was handed to Russia. In addition, Kocharyan and Oskanyan were so “complementary” that they handed the Iran-Armenia small diameter gas pipeline to Russia, in this case, excluding any possibility of weakening the position of Russia’s monopoly. In other words, Iran gas can not become an alternative to the Russian gas, as a result of the deal executed by Kocharyan and Oskanyan.
Let’s leave aside the question of to what extent the Russians developed the spheres and strategic objects that had appeared under the surveillance of Russians as a result of Kocharyan’s and Oskanyan’s “balanced” policy… The problem is in the orientation. The firm and steadfast foundations of the Russian monopoly policy in Armenia’s strategic sectors were laid during the period of Oskanyan’s advocated “complementarity”. To the point, it was done without the Russians pressures and blackmail. Hence, Oskanyan have to explain what the RA authorities have received from Russia for this deal during his being in power.
Next. Today, Vardan Oskanyan represents the PAP, and has not made any statement regarding the advantages of signing the EU Association Agreement and the negative impact of the Customs Union since September 3. Moreover, whatever was said in the past one and one and a half years, at the level of the party leader Gagik Tsarukyan, it is the basis to claim that the PAP supports Putin’s Eurasian integration initiatives, and views Armenia’s “bright future” just in this orbit.
Is it now already strange to PAP that Armenia is joining the Customs Union…? Is PAP against for Armenia to join the Customs Union? And finally, does Oskanyan’s view represent the official PAP view….?
Emma GABRIELYAN
