Eric Rubin’s “turning” interview
“The United States gives a great importance to development of relations with Armenia. Our primary goal is to ensure economic growth and increased investments in Armenia. That is what Armenia really needs, and we are not satisfied with the current level of our bipartite partnership, we would like to see growth of American investment into Armenia’s economy,” said the US State Secretary Assistant for European and Eurasian Affairs Eric Rubin, yesterday, in his interview to the “Voice of America” radio station. The US official’s statement is quite remarkable in the sense that it is voiced when Armenia’s membership to the Eurasian Economic Union has been officially launched.
In the conversation with “Aravot”, commenting the American diplomat’s messages, Chairman of “Free Democrats” party Khachatur Kokobelyan said that this interview is a turning point for the relations between Armenia and the West. “This interview officially speaks of not only deepening the economic partnership with Armenia, but also military partnership between Armenia and the US, as well as key terms generating from Armenia’s security components.” Khachatur Kokobelyan is sure that the most important consideration is that the West no longer considers the fact of Russian military base deployed in Armenia as a barrier. “All the Western powers, particularly the United States, in my opinion, clearly vision that the existence of the Russian military base in Armenia is a situational solution, and neither this nor the imposed, in my opinion, membership to the EaEU should not be barriers for the development of our partnership. In partnership with the US is clear that it will substantially increase Armenia’s security component.
In the current day by day changing and developing world, Armenia a day before needs to realize the practical and substantial relationship, which will shift from the level of statements to more practical steps. The dangerous challenges related to Russia-Ukraine confrontation are enough for Armenia to be strongly consistent for adding its security element to the West component,” said Khachatur Kokobelyan, highly signifying the references made by the US State Department official. “These are strongly necessary preconditions for Armenia to be able to correctly build its military-political and economic ties with the Western powers, including pertaining to the investments.”
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In this context, Khachatur Kokobelyan considers the message of the newly appointed US Ambassador to Armenia Richard M. Mills, which clearly indicated the development of economic cooperation with Armenia, the issue of adding the security component, which is primary for us, and the US active participation in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and resolution thereof. So far, European officials were also talking about future relations with Armenia with reservations, but yesterday, the head of the EU delegation to Armenia Traian Hristea also announced, “We (the EU – N.G.) will not leave from here and we will continue supporting Armenia’s modernization.”
Given the US and the EU “combat” sentiments, whether there is no danger that Armenia may become a foothold for the US-EU-Russia interests, Khachatur Kokobelyan is sure that it cannot. “If you closely follow these statements, they clearly state that we should consider such developments of relations that are possible at the level of compatibility. I think that our Western partners, even though often not speaking about it loud, simply understood and realized that it was a choice imposed to Armenia. In the development of relationships, it is very important not to become a center for confrontation. Armenia does not have such resource for resistance given the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the weak state of our economy and the geopolitical position, in which Armenia is,” said our interlocutor. No matter how much imposed, however, it is a fact that Armenia today is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. On the other hand, there are real potentials to develop military and political relations with the US and the EU, too.
We asked Khachatur Kokobelyan whether Armenia’s current government has so much courage. “The authorities of Armenia are obliged to demonstrate this courage, because it directly generates from the benefit of Armenian state and the security and economic development of every citizen living in Armenia. It is the only window today, which provides a chance to add Armenia’s security component and ensuring development. Hence, it should be not a desire by our state, but a required process,” said our interlocutor. Comparing the American and European officials’ statements, Chairman of “Free Democrats” party comes to the conclusion that “it is a systematic policy towards Armenia rather than good wishes.”
Nelly GRIGORYAN
