Aravot.am asked the political scientist, Yervand Bozoyan, about what we will achieve by pro-western views possessing former Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s appointment as an Ambassador of Armenia to the United States, and whether it is possible to take new steps towards signing of the EU Association Agreement. Yervand Bozoyan responded that Tigran Sargsyan’s appointment an Ambassador was unusual in several components. “First of all, I do not think that Tigran Sargsyan was a pro-western figure, because there is no single sign of why he was a pro-western figure. It’s answer is not clear to me, I do not know what the Armenian society may think of this issue. Secondly, what EU Association Agreements we are talking about, when Armenian a few times has officially announced that it is joining the CU and the Eurasian Economic Union. Being a pro-western, to put it mildly, is not an axiom for me. I think that the vast majority of public politicians in Armenia have a very weak perception of the values system and world outlook, and these people can be conventionally considered pro-Western or pro-Russian. They are rather pro-selfish and they proceed by their interests. Basically, they do not have the philosophical basis which, let’ say, have in Ukraine or Georgia. In this sense, Armenia’s pro-Western or pro-Russian politicians can be accepted strictly conditional. Specifically, Tigran Sargsyan Minister has not been displayed in any form even in the public and officially, at least in words that he is a pro-Western. During his activities, he has a lot of times made contradictory statements towards Russia and in pro-Western direction. And why he is a pro-Western, I cannot imagine.” Pertaining to the EU integration steps, Yervand Bozoyan said, “Armenia has already officially announced about its integration to the Eurasian Economic Union. In this sense, Armenian proceeds in the European direction as, let’s say, Kazakhstan or Belarus.” According to Yervand Bozoyan, the “and-and” policy existed in the 90’s and 2000’s, when Armenia was trying to maneuver, and lead a balanced policy as much as it is could succeed. “Given the objective geopolitical situation, Armenia had key security relationships with Russia. At the same time, it was trying to complement the relations with Russia by the western vector to be able to ensure financial flows on preferential terms. At some point, Armenia was successful in it the then. From the very beginning of this president’s administration, his moves were extremely instable, at least at the level of the visibility. It ended in the fact that since 2008-2009, he started to be active in close relations with the Europeans. Even, in some sense, we were not considering Russians, which were followed by tough steps by Russians towards Armenia, the core of which was the fact that on his visit to Baku last year on August, the President of the Russian Federation signed an agreement of more than 4 billion dollar on selling of arms and ammunition, as well as establishment of a military-industrial complex in Azerbaijan. Russia signed an agreement of about 700 million dollars on selling of ammunition. All of this was a clear message to Serzh Sargsyan that if he tries to ignore the Russian direction, then very sad days are expected to Karabakh and Armenia. In fact, the words that said by Shavarsh Kocharyan that as it is a business for Russia to sell weapons to Azerbaijan, so as it is a business for Armenia to be in relationship with the Europeans, this “audacity” ended on September 3, when Armenia’s policy officially became unilateral.” To our question of given that Tigran Sargsyan’s name is touched upon in offshore scandal and corruption transactions, how he will be successful to keep the rating of Armenia high in the international arena, Yervand Bozoyan responded, “Armenia’s rating is already so low that no one can raise it. Everyone understands it. As long as these authorities exist, no one trusts Armenia anymore, because these people already confirmed that their words do not turn into an action. Now, neither Russians respect Armenia, because they have received from Armenia what they already have, nor the Europeans because they have understood that these authorities have cheated them. The No. 1 and the most influential person in Armenia is the president as long as he rules, whoever is appointed to a position, he will have a conditional confidence anywhere, be in Russia or in the West. In this sense, whether Tigran Sargsyan will be a hero of the offshore scandal, or a general, there will be no significant difference.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
