About how the Kremlin conceded Armenia by “package”
The electricity price in Armenia is Armenia’s domestic issue, announced Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in response to the questions of whether the situation in Armenia was discussed during the telephone conversation with the Presidents of Armenia and Russia, Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, accordingly. He explained that “the emphasis was mainly put on bipartite relations.”
On June 30, on his birthday, Serzh Sargsyan has received a pretty warm message from the Russian President. Vladimir Putin’s congratulatory message reads, in particular, “During your time in office, you have gained the respect you deserve among your compatriots, as well as a high reputation in the international arena. I greatly appreciate your personal contribution to the strengthening of the friendly and allied relationship between our countries. I warmly recall your recent visit to Moscow during which you joined us in partaking in the 70th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. I would be glad to continue our meetings, constructive dialogue and concerted efforts for the well-being of the brotherly peoples of Armenia and Russia.”
During the phone conversation, the two heads of state also reflected upon issues pertaining to the deepening of relations between the allied states and the promotion of multifaceted cooperation. The warmth expressed in Putin’s aforementioned message was especially remarkable if we view it in the context of recent events in Baghramyan Armenia and in various cities of Armenia. The official Moscow has acknowledged that the availability of the Armenian authorities obedient to the Kremlin is still not a guarantee for the Armenian society to be obedient, and in necessary, the society will rebel if Russian mass media would consistently try distorting the Armenian events with their biased, far from reality and sometimes even openly provocative coverage and articles.
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The protests in Baghramyan Avenue extending more than a week had left such an impact on the future of the Armenian-Russian relations that even the organizers and participants of the protest have not realized their true significance. Moscow considered the wave raised around the ENA operations on the very first days of the protest as a direct blow to Russian state in the face of «Росимущество» State Agency, as a shareholder of «Интер РАО ЕЭС» (Inter RAO UES). This was probably the reason for the Russian media propaganda against Armenian events, presenting the protest as “Maidan” and “colored revolutions” and circulating false rumors about being organized by the West. But some moment onward, Moscow, perhaps, realized that their practice in Armenian-Russian relations drives a “wedge”, while inciting the public and arousing antipathy toward Moscow can generate more in-depth problems than clarifying the relations with any authorities in a traditional Russian practice.
On June 26, President Serzh Sargsyan received the delegation headed by Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov, Co-Chairman of the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation. With regard to this meeting, the President’s press release can be considered truly sensational. The Russian side was giving “presents” to the Armenian side by “package”, one after the other. Thus, Serzh Sargsyan expressed satisfaction with the fact that during that period, a number of issues that are of vital importance to Armenia have been tackled, including the gas pricing supplied to Armenia. Starting from January 1, Armenia pays 165 USD for one m3 instead of previous 189 USD.
In S. Sargsyan’s word, it allowed avoiding price increases and stabilizing the tariff of natural gas, despite the variations of the USD-AMD exchange rates. Serzh Sargsyan mentioned that today’s commission meeting was also marked by the conclusion of a 200 million US dollar preferential loan agreement, which will allow Armenia to considerably enlarge the range of modern armament used by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia. Providing a 200 million US dollar preferential loan to Armenia was still not everything, the next remarkable moment was as follows: “Taking the opportunity, the president expressed his gratitude to Russia’s law-enforcement bodies, particularly the Office of the Prosecutor General for promoting effective collaboration with the Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate the brutal crime committed in Gyumri in January this year. According to the president, the decision to transfer the criminal proceeding to the Investigative Committee of Armenia and its further trial by Armenia’s respective authorities certainly reflects the spirit of partnership and brotherhood, and fully corresponds with the provisions stipulated in the Armenian-Russian Agreement on the Status of the Russian Military Base in Armenia.”
We learned from the same press release of the aforementioned meeting that Serzh Sargsyan considers it right for the intergovernmental commission to discuss the possibility of conducting a careful and comprehensive audit at Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC – a subsidiary of INTER RAO UES JSC – with the participation of experts and civil society representatives. With regard to the RA president’s proposal, Maksim Sokolov noted that the intergovernmental commission will supervise the auditing of the company’s activities, by engaging experts and representatives of all the stakeholders, adding that the entire process will be as open and as transparent as possible so that the auditing results make the situation clear and understandable for everybody and covers all of its aspects.
It turns out that the Russian side has made major concessions on several issues. Why? The explanation is one: it was our society standing in Baghramyan Avenue. Our society’s activeness blocked the electricity price hike, at least at this point, and opened a way of opportunities for the substitution of the ENA owner and the nationalization. In addition, the Agreement to provide 200 million US dollar preferential loan to Armenia enables significantly expanding the samples of up-to-date weapons in the arsenal of the Armed Forces. In other words, the discontent raised by official Yerevan provided for by the sale of Russian arms to Azerbaijan, to some extent, compelled the Kremlin to revise the policy for the Armenian side too. Besides all this, the decision on the handover of the proceeding of the murdering case of the Avetisyan family in Gyumri on January 12 to the Armenia’s Investigation Committee. Today, the public factor has created conditions for Armenia’s authorities to act with the Russia side from solid grounds at all levels and in all spheres and operate in favor of the interests of Armenia and the citizens of Armenia. “We are a small country,” but nothing prevents us to compel others to respect us.
Emma GABRIELYAN, “Aravot” daily
