According to former Deputy Police Chief Robert Melkonyan, the customs checkpoint on the border of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia will carry a formal nature, but we would not be secured of Russia’s participation. Former Deputy Police Chief Robert Melkonyan, in conversation with “Aravot”, referred to the issues of Eurasian Economic Union, Nagorno-Karabakh and installation if a customs checkpoint on the border of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, the problems and challenges thereof. Responding to the questions of whether he agrees with the viewpoint that accession to the Eurasian Economic Union was a plan for salvation for Serzh Sargsyan as a politician, as the 2013 elections were a failure for him, and afterwards, the only way to stay close to the power was to gain importance by formulating this process with the Union not only for Russia but also for the European Union, Robert Melkonyan said that the task is very complex, and it was aggravated particularly when Russia finally realized what dangers it will face in the event of signing the Association Agreement by Ukraine.
According to Robert Melkonyan, “Moscow, seeing that it loses almost everything, decided to take a more active and direct participation in further geopolitical developments and try to submit a claim for a superpower similar to the Soviet years, by throwing down the gauntlet to the United States. Henceforth, naturally, the notions about EaEU and the Customs Union, events related to Ukraine, Crimea and Eastern Ukraine: Novorossiya. As for the context of your question about Armenia’s accession, then I do not agree, and it has nothing to do with the elections. This step was an imposed move by Russia, undermining the idea of the Association Agreement, failure to sign it, illustrating an example for other countries, and urging them to go for this move by persuading them. In addition, Russia needs us to be in this Union aiming to balance Belarus and Kazakhstan during the discussions. It’s another matter that with having the Karabakh problem, surrounded by well-known countries, assessing the possible consequences, we, unfortunately, could not but take this decision,” replied Robert Melkonyan.
To the next question that in the event of installing a customs checkpoint on the border of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, in addition that citizens of Artsakh will have to get a visa to have an access to Armenia, other complex problems will also arise, so whether you do not think that the flow, in particular, of weapons, armaments and armed forces will be documented by the Customs Union agencies, which assumes that we cannot keep a military secret, because the flow of armaments and armed forced would become evident to Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus, the former deputy chief of police said, “It’s a difficult question, and it is impossible to give a definite answer to it because depending on the situation, it can be changed, and have even unpredictable and undesirable consequences. We are living in a very complex, intense and controversial period. Everything depends on Russia’s, Putin’s attitude and desire, although Kazakhstan, naturally, possible protects and will try defending the interests of its clansmen, the Azerbaijanis. If Russia looks at this issue loyally, even if a customs checkpoint were installed, then it will carry a formal character. But, unfortunately, we are not secured of other situations, including Russia’s participation in this process.”
Robert Melkonyan believes that a border control, as such, will not happen, it will be weak, formal and demonstrative. He does not rule out the possibility that we are not secure of undesirable developments, however, he thinks that these associations might be in the CIS status – formal and mostly senseless.
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Eva HAKOBYAN
