“Yes, it was hasty, such stance of the authorities is offensive to me, it is a stance of people having the psychology of a slave,” so interpreted Jirair Sefilian, the “Shushi” battalion commander, the Artsakh war participant, in the conversation with Aravot referring to the sentiment of our authorities pertaining to the Crimean referendum.
Many people draw parallels and comparisons between Crimean and Karabakh issues pinning their hope that the situation will change in Karabakh after the referendum in Crimea. As said by Jirair Sefilian, “I am sure that similarities between Crimea and Artsakh are much less than those of contradictions, hence, to similarize them today is incorrect. It is necessary to call things by their proper names and not to evade the moment that the referendum took place in the violent presence of armed forces. This already says a lot. One should not think that our strategic partners would take offence at us. We repeatedly took offence at geopolitical forces with regard to Artsakh issue because of the double games. More we introduce veracity and morality in politics, the better.” In the UN General Assembly, Armenian voted “cons” to the draft resolution on recognizing the referendum in the Crimea invalid. As to what implications the stance of RA authorities may have for us pertaining to the Crimean referendum, and the telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin by the initiative of Serzh Sargsyan, according to Jirair Sefilian, “It has been a long time since the geopolitical centers are viewing us as a tool, therefore, such statements once again come to confirm that we still do not have the potential in us to become a factor. In this sense, of course, we incur losses.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
