Interview with expert for Regional Research Center, project manager, Haykak Arshamyan Beginning
– Situation, in which Armenia appeared, deep apathy of population, numerous problems in foreign and domestic policy, and so on, to put it mildly, is not enviable. Do you see any practical and non-theoretical way to come out it?
– Maybe, a possible solution would be available for all political and civil forces and individuals who are thinking about preservation of the statehood, consolidation by a single platform. I think that it is possible to establish, because I’m sure that there are people, individuals and forces in both the society and the opposition, even the government, who consider this situation of the country unacceptable.
– Do you have any expectation of the “huge” rally in the fall planned by the Quartet?
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– To be honest, it was strange for me that when in terms of internal and external challenges in the country, the situation is as such that a days and an hour ago, we need to conduct certain activities and respond quickly, all of a sudden, Armenia’s four political forces decide to leave it for September. I related this with September 21, at least the ANC holds a rally on this day, every year, and this year one of the next ones will happen. One or two huge rallies a year happen, people are going with excitement, expect for some steps and plans, but ground of accumulated energy takes place, and they return home disappointed. I am not saying them to immediately stand up and go for some steps or start breaking up to the right-and-left, and hold everyday rallies … but people do not see plans, they see only criticism and nothing else. In the past one year, we have seen the following: this government is very bad, if we come, we would be better, but as to what, how, why, etc., is not clear. I have the impression that some forces within the Quartet are every time sending a message to Russia, saying that if we come, we will serve you better. In the past 20-25 years, people have become quite wiser, and they see that the major players in today’s field do not have willingness to take over the power and make major changes.
– Do you see any possibility to be cut off from Russia?
– I do not see a matter to be cut off. I see a problem with proper negotiation and maintaining good-neighborly relations with Russia, which we lost year-after-year, starting from “Property for Debt” program, which eventually resulted in Armenia’s such terrible dependence on Russia. I would like to present an observation. I want to talk about artificial strongly pro-western and pro-Russian. Artificially, faith or a hatred to any country or people is incited in people. Such a maximalist attitude to any country or people is not acceptable for me. Now, what is called pro-western is somehow faded in Armenia, and everybody, all of a sudden, become apologists of Russia and Putin, they claim that our salvation is only to be with Russia. I propose keeping track to recent events in Eastern Ukraine, how Russia gave up the people whom it had sent to eastern Ukraine to develop separatist sentiments. And the same would happen to Armenia. Let’s consider Russia’s initial claims and policy associated with the Customs Union and look that now, when Armenian is fully surrendered and is saying that it is ready, even it is prepared for it with fastest paces, all of a sudden, this process started continuously to be protracted. Because Russia was following other pbjectives: to wreck the Eastern Partnership policy and disrupt signing the Association Agreement, also bringing the authorities of Armenia under the sphere of its influence. It successfully solved all the problems, and now Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union or the Eurasian Economic Union is no longer important for it, they are already secondary issues, because the events in Ukraine already crushed Russia’s earlier designed global plans. I would like to make one more consideration. During his last visits, Serzh Sargsyan is making weird suggestions in all European countries, last week in the Latin American countries. He suggests to deepen the relations with Armenia as a bridge between them and the Customs Union. Armenia has not yet finished these processes, it is not a member of this Union, and such suggestions are at least funny. All these countries already have bilateral relations with three countries of the Customs Union. Why should they be interested in mediated link, especially through Armenia? Recognition of the Genocide had become the focus of Armenia’s foreign policy since Kocharyan’s times, and our entire foreign policy was based on it. Now, this cornerstone seems to be forgotten, and they are trying to create and new cornerstone, which truly is a balloon, to be a connecting link between the Customs Union and the other states of the world. This is from the series of government’s bluffs. In the last few years, in all areas: economic, social, foreign, and military, our government has created conglomerate bluffs, and the balloons are blowing out one-by-one, and this is the next one.
Melania BARSEGHYAN
