Is there any investment made in the strengthening of friendship and cooperation with Russia?
The Armenia-Russia relations should truly be strategic: not in words but in practice. The Armenian-Russian relations should be collaborating, irrespective of the differences in the weight and influence of Russia and Armenia. However, there are officials in Armenia who believe that Armenia should be modest, especially in the relations with Russia, with the “head” down and humble for not to be punished and get a slap in the face from Mother Russia. But, these people never ask why it happens so that just this kind of Armenia is often punished, being slapped and belittled by Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on awarding Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian with Order of Friendship. “The Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Edward Aghvani Nalbandian, was awarded the Order of Friendship for his great contribution to strengthening the friendship and cooperation with Russian Federation,” – reads the RF presidential decree, which was published on the official internet-portal of legal news. Chairwoman of Laos’ National Assembly, also a member of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Pany Yathotou, have also been awarded the same Order. Awarding with Orders is common between the states to emphasize the level of effective cooperation between the two countries. But the strange thing is that today, when the sincerity in the relations between Armenia and Russia in the 25-year history of Armenia’s independence is the most suspicious, right in this period Putin, rewards Nalbandyan. The Armenian-Russian relations passed thru quite trials in recent years. On every occasion, Russia showed that it is ready to trample Armenia’s “modesty” and “humility.” People who have never criticized these relations and have always protected Moscow’s policy are already casting doubt on the strategic relations with Russia.
Read also
Armenia put aside the four years talks on the Association Agreement with the EU and accessed the Eurasian Economic Union so that allegedly to “ensure Armenia security” and “to prevent the war by Azerbaijan.” But this was not sufficient for Russia not to arm Armenia’s and Artsakh’s rival Azerbaijan after all. Armenia is deprived of the opportunity to diversify its energy and security systems for all the threads are connected with Russia. But even this is not a heavy ground for the Russian side to discuss new regional initiatives with Armenia, if necessary. Two weeks after the 4-day war in April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a joint press conference with Nalbandian in Yerevan, did not utter a single sour word against Aliyev’s regime for unleashing a war. This was in the days when the entire Armenian people were in pain for the Armenian soldiers killed by Russian offensive weapon. Ten days after the four-day war, Russian parliamentarians were in Yerevan and according to the tradition, they were to sign a joint statement. But Russia’s “hands were tied up”, they could not allow themselves to criticize Aliyev’s unbridled policy together with Armenians. First Deputy Chairman of Defense and Security Committee of Russian Federation Council, Alexander Chekalin, assured that the reason for not adopting a joint statement is procedural, the elaborated text must first be agreed with other committees of the parliament. Months passed but the defense committees of Armenia’s and Russia’s parliaments did not adopt the statement. The ministry headed by Nalbandian failed to receive any pro-Armenian statement during these years against Aliyev’s bellicose policy, neither in the framework of CIS, CSTO, the Eurasian Economic Union nor in bipartite relations between Armenia-Russia. If we also add the unresolved issue of extradition of Armenian driver Hrachya Harutyunyan sentenced to prison in Russia, the circulation of information on the transfer of Russian soldier Valeri Permyakov sentenced to life imprisonment to Russian law enforcers and Armenia’s cowardly stance in all of this, then a question arises for which merit Putin rewards Nalbandian. Is there any investment made in the strengthening of friendship and cooperation with Russia? The answer is more than clear: because Putin must award right this type of “modest” and “humble” foreign minister in Armenia.
EMMA GABRIELYAN
«Aravot», 01.09.2016
