Once given promises of the “irreversible” blow up the Kremlin
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as you know, last week, talked about the events in Armenia and considered appropriate to note that the cause of the events in Armenia is economical, however, an attempt is made to move the process to the political arena. “You know how the color revolutions, the maidan in Ukraine and the current developments in Armenia started… There is a temptation to use them for inflaming anti-governmental sentiments though the roots of these developments are purely economic. But someone apparently finds it useful to go further and to develop these processes in the political sense,” said Lavrov.
Let’s try to understand who have “politicized” this issue. Firstly, the accusation about “Maidan”, “E-Maidan” and “Color revolutions” was voiced by the Russian mass media, and it was obvious to everyone. As to why, the reasons may be different. The fact that the public discontent with the electricity price hike anticipated solutions not only from the government authorities, but also pointed out Bibin as a responsible person for the created situation, Russia considered this as a blow from the back. The other reason is the haste, without analyzing the situation in Armenia, perhaps the most on the most advantageous option for the Russian side – seeing the “ears” of the West behind any event. Other reasons are also possible. But, today, it is already not essential to analyze why Moscow did so. Today, it is more remarkable to see what level the Armenian-Russian relations will take in the future after the Moscow analyses.
The public did its job duly, forcing both Armenian and Russian authorities to reckon with the factor of citizens of Armenia and their force. This was done without political forces, and perhaps that is why many people today are desperately seeking to discredit the movement as much as they can, to fade down the results, which were possible to achieve without their participation. For a moment, some people were seeking to make the movement serve their unfulfilled purposes, but after the failure, they began considering the movement a government project. Moreover, with pro-Russian messages, as if both Russian authorities and Armenian pro-Russians were complementing each other.
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The head of the Moscow-based “Unity” Center and having friendly relations with ANC, Smbat Karakhanyan, in his interview with 1in.am, referring to the Russian Foreign Minister S. Lavrov’s statement, notes, “Lavrov warns that today the so-called pro-Western forces are making attempts to shifting the fight into an anti-Russian or pro-western dimension. Of course, we do not consider Paruyr Hayrikyan’s coming to Baghramyan Avenue with the European flag, this is a small episode, but the Russian side sees what such trends may lead to … Today, Russia has information that the Western centers are already working on projects to shift this situation, this arrow of the fight not to the anti-government dimension, not to fight against oligarchs or the corruption, but to lead in the anti-Russian direction from the long distance. And Lavrov wanted to say that the Russian authorities have such a fear.” According to Karakhanyan, Lavrov’s remarks were clearly aimed at the Western centers, who have elaborated this project and are doing their work in Armenia. “Who are also doing their job among the protesters and are thinking of an appropriate time to start. And that the RA government authorities, the same Baghramyan 26, encourage all of this underneath.”
Then, he reveals the “dirty games” of Armenia’s authorities, oligarchic and monopolistic figures. “We all understand very well that there is a very dirty corruption history related to the ENA, but without the authorities, this company could not allow some companies not to pay the amount for consumed electricity or pay pennies. In this case, a bipartite agreement has taken place. And today, the Russian authorities, I can say, have started their own closed investigation through “Inter RAO”, “RAO UES”, the Ministry of Energy and the various government circles.”
First, it is a shocking news that Moscow was expecting results of fighting against oligarchs and corruption in Armenia. Probably, this is known only to Karakhanyan, because until recently, it is clear to all over the world that the regimes that are not fighting against oligarchs and corruption are friends to Russia and those who truly fight against them Moscow considers them just an enemy.
Next, why is Karakhanyan silent about several concessions from the Russian side? If Moscow believes that the Western powers are standing behind the events in Armenia, then how to explain the negotiations of June 26 between Serge Sargsyan and the delegation headed by Co-Chairman of the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation, also Minister of RF Transport, Maxim Sokolov, and the followed statements that starting from January 1, for one m3 Armenia pays 165 USD instead of previous 189 USD. In addition, a 200 million US dollar preferential loan agreement was signed, which will allow Armenia to considerably enlarge the range of modern armament used by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia. Plus, the decision to transfer the criminal proceeding of the brutal crime (the Avetisyan family) committed in Gyumri in January to the Investigative Committee of Armenia and its further trial by Armenia’s respective authorities.
It is clear why it is not advantageous for Karakhanyan to talk about this, because it will become obvious that the public activity in Armenia solved a problem, which Armenia’s opposition would never raise not to make the Kremlin angry. Therefore, when it is obvious today that in the result of the public activity, Moscow went for some concessions, today, the pro-Russian opposition tries to present the events as a process implemented under the auspice of the West, and accused the authorities for “boosting” the anti-Russian sentiments to once again attract Putin’s attention by making him understand. “We are here, we are more committed, we will never allow the public to come out against Bibin’s headed structure.”
Today, to put the Armenian-Russian relations on the peer-to-peer grounds, favorable conditions are created and it was implemented thanks to the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, and the scheming forces should not be allowed to fade away the results, based on which, it is possible to solve the issues of the electricity prices hike and in the political sense, the future of the Armenian-Russian relations.
The forces that were considering Armenia’s membership to the Eurasian Union an irreversible reality and were calling convulsions by “two or three dozen individuals” and ridiculous and were convinced that “in addition to stirring up the minds of people, they are unable to dictate a political agenda,” today, in front of the “superiors”, presumably, feel themselves guilty because they made everyone sure that only they can lead and manage the public uprising in Armenia, and most importantly, always “in the line.”
Two weeks ago, both the “irreversible ones” and those who deliver services to the Kremlin realized that it is not so. Therefore, today, they edit the Armenian events post-factum: each one to the extent of its capabilities.
A little earlier, when the Russian mass media were spreading disinformation about Armenia and were presenting provocative footages, on June 24, 1in.am asked the same Karakhanyan whether Russia is trying to show so, the Russian mass media and non-accidental politicians are writing that an attempt of color revolution is made in Armenia, Karakhanyan noted, “Naturally, it is the handwriting of RA government authorities. Since the first day, the Russian government lobbyists came here and were telling from one Russian channel to the other to show what is going on in Armenia. People, to say the least, were bursting out laughing. So many things happened in Armenia and no one was addressing the issue by the Public Televisions of Armenia. They were perhaps showing, but not in such an abnormal way. They want to show Russia that the situation here is dire, we are fighting against Maidan, come and help us, otherwise, Armenia will become something similar to Saakashvili’s Georgia. But this does not mean that with their primitive brains, they can go ahead. Naturally, the Western forces are working, how they can stop working, the Russian authorities clearly understand this. They should work, this is a non-harvested field.”
If we consider Karakhanyan’s abovementioned observations a reality, then his interpretations may lead us to conclude that the RA authorities, dictated by the West, are making the public in Armenia to rise, and then go to Moscow and order the Russian TV companies to prepare a “Maidan” footages about the events in Armenia and disseminate them, and then extort some Armenophile decisions from the Kremlin.
If we take Karakhanyan’s hypothesis serious, then we must conclude that the RA authorities are working with Russia and the West just perfectly. Only one thing remains unclear. If the RA authorities manage to carry out so many things in Moscow “under the nose” of Karakhanyan, then what is he doing there in general.
Emma GABRIELYAN,
“Aravot” daily
