British-American tandem, according to Arman Melikyan, is trying to prevent the formation of Russia-Germany-France new geopolitical axis
– Views were expressed in Armenia that prior to expressing a position on the referendum in the Crimea, Armenia should recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia has already recognized the independence of Crimea. Do you think this is the moment that it would be correct for Armenia to recognize Karabakh’s independence?
– Russia’s recognition of the independence of Crimea contains some additional nicety: the issue of Crimea’s independence has not been the issue of referendum. By the referendum, Crimea’s population voted in favor of entering into the composition of Russia with the status of ordinary federal administrative regional unit, which can nowise be associated with independence. Declaring Crimea’s independence by the local Parliament and the hasty recognition of this independence by the President of Russia was aimed at ensuring the peninsula’s independent status from Ukraine prior to its official unification to Russia and the terms of its accession are still not clear, although President Putin and the Crimean authorities have already signed the agreement on accession of Crimea and Sevastopol into the composition of Russia, which declares that the decision is valid from the moment of signing the agreement, however, the agreement will enter into effect only after its ratification by the Russian Federal Council. This approach will enable the Russian side to exercise required actions to protect the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking population in adjacent Russian settlements through the armed forces of independent Crimea. Recognition of Artsakh’s independence by Armenia should not be associated with this specific situation.
– What should be the role and reaction of the NKR legislative and executive bodies?
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– As far as I know, the NKR Foreign Ministry has already responded positively to the fact of conducting referendum in Crimea and registered results. At this point, I think that the Artsakh side does not need to make new official statements.
– And what should be the position of official Yerevan?
– Armenia needs to consider this referendum in the general context of the political process held in recent months in Ukraine. Followed by this, the Armenian side, based on the information at its disposal, can respond that the majority of the Crimean population has participated in the referendum and voted in favor of the option of being included in the composition of Russia Federation as an Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Such an attitude by the population, itself, can also become an orientation for the new Kiev authorities and the international community, however, the wide international recognition of the results of the referendum would probably require certain additional political and diplomatic efforts, and Armenia should be prepared to have its mediation participate in this matter, given also the availability of unique experience gained during the settlement of Karabakh conflict.
– Do you think that Serzh Sargsyan rescued Armenian with his decision of joining the CU from deserving the destiny of Ukraine?
– Very specific geopolitical problems are solved in Ukraine and still have plenty of events to occur. Armenia has nothing to do with it, and it is not that if Armenia had chosen another path, the same thing would have happened here. The point is that no alternative was given to Armenia, first by the European Union; the latter made the possible for Armenia to choose what Mr. Serzh Sargsyan chose on September 3. At the same time, we must clearly understand that the Ukrainian scenario of changing the power in Armenia is quite realistic and quickly achievable.
– In this geopolitical situation, with such rapid paces, other RA officials like headed by the Prime Minister are stating what the striving to join the CU gives to our country.
– Ensuring safety and relative economic stability as much as it depends on the Kremlin.
– The West has already started setting up sanctions over Russia, to which harsh reactions are voiced by Russia. What result will it bring to?
– This is the beginning of a long-term political, economic, and diplomatic resistance. At the same time, I think that Russia’s destruction or extreme weakening is not beneficial to the British-American strategic tandem. It is likely that it pursues the goal to suspend possible progress in Russia-EU relations and prevent the formation of a new Russia-Germany-France geopolitical axis.
– In general, do you think that the West has a moral mandate to voice accusations against Russia, since under the cover of democracy, by the hand of the same West, Arab springs occurred, which, in fact, did not solve any problem for given countries and their populations. Moreover, these countries found themselves in a more difficult situation.
– I think that the government of any country receives the mandate of conducting a foreign policy by its own people. For the latter, the basis for giving the mandate or not serves the fact of how much the government can care about people’s high living standards, and if it is provided even by violation of the rights of others, it does not matter, this kind of actions are motivated by the need to protect exclusively the national interests. In other words, the secured citizen is merciful to the authorities “providing” its welfare and is ready to turn its blind eye on many things.
Interviewer, Nelly Grigoryan
