If there is no objective to lower the Armenian-Russian relations to the level of “a master and a slave”
Putin’s chief propagandist, Director General of “Rossiya Segodnya” («Россия сегодня»), Dmitry Kiselyov, recently arrived in Yerevan again. The “Griboyedov” club in Armenia held its regular closed meeting. The photos of attendees appeared on the Internet.
As seen, the chief player of Putin’s propaganda machine is working seriously in the direction of Armenia. This multi-busy figure, who provides Putin’s policy righteousness for the Russian society and indisputability propaganda of Putin’s moves, find also time to work in the direction of Armenia, visiting Yerevan once a month. Last month, Dmitry Kiselyov spoke about the role of the Russian language and absence of Russian language schools at the Parliament during the discussion held in participation of the Deputy-Speaker of the National Assembly and a number of deputies, and expressed his discontent that the taxi-driver could not tell the fare in Russian. Later, he quite transparently passed from this “gap” to the issue of ensuring Armenia’s security by Russia, making us understand to solve the issue of the Russian language, and only then submit claims to Russia about Armenia’s security. Igor Panarin, CSTO Scientific Analytical Association Coordinator, Doctor of Political Sciences, during the discussion held a few days ago, said, “The Pushkin Street signboard in Yerevan is written in Armenian and English languages, but in Almaty, the same street name is written in Russian and Kazakh languages, even sometimes only in Russian language.”
Judging by the Russians visiting Armenia, and their statements and comments made here, Armenia is still under the Kremlin “monitoring”. Whereas, it seemed that there should be no reasons for it. Last year, on September 3, Armenia made a decision to join the Customs Union, and then the European Union, in other words, to prove loyalty to the Kremlin, Armenia’s steps were more than obvious.
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However, apparently, the Kremlin does not still assess the work towards strengthening Russian propaganda in Armenia sufficient. The fact that personally Kiselyov is involved in the implementation of these works perhaps is an indication of how much importance Moscow gives to Armenia. But on the other hand, we should not take comfort, because it is also due to Kiselyov’s pushed away image that, today, the civilized world is getting the view about Putin’s Russia, become disappointed of Putin’s administration and feel sorry for the Russians, which surely deserves more than Putin’s Russia.
In Armenia, many still believe that Armenia’s security cannot be achieved without Russia. This belief may stay in us for a long time. But regardless of the fact that Armenia-Russia relations should truly be strategic, but not the one as today’s relations. These relationships need to be saved by making them peer-to-peer, but not by the visits of today’s advocates. They more wreck the Armenia-Russia relations and friendship rather than strengthening the Armenian-Russian “age-old friendship.”
It has been a long time since elements of distrust are noticed in the Armenian-Russian relations. There is a lack of honesty, and we have talked a lot about its reasons. To solve the problems in Armenian-Russian relations, Kiselyov is not surely the most convenient candidate. If, of course, there is no objective to lower the Armenian-Russian relations to the level of “a master and a slave”, then the solutions should not be found in “Griboyedov” club meetings.
EMMA GABRIELYAN
