Based on the results of the study conducted by the research center of the Eurasian Bank from the pro-Armenian lack to the trajectory of Karen Karapetyan’s activities, the positive attitude of the Armenian society towards Russia and the perception of Russia as a main partner have decreased by 17 percent. Among the reasons Russian publicist, member of the Russian Association of the International Law Denis Dvornikov singles out the statements of Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin made in Baku that Russia will continue to sell armament to Azerbaijan.
Speaking to “Aravot”, expert of the Armenian Association of International and Security Issues Gevorg Meliqyan assured that the reasons should be sought not in the Russian side but in Armenian side. The expert noticed that the Russians continue to be the same as they have always been; it is a different matter that the spread of anti-Russian sentiments is preferable for a certain circles of the Armenian political elite:
– It is not anti-Russianism but sentiments against Russia starting from Premyakov’s incident, then the Russian’s incomprehensible behavior on the media during the “Electric Yerevan”, the behavior of the Russian officials during the April incidents when they did not show pro-Armenian position, Rogozin’s speech also influenced.
Taking into account all these, Mr. Meliqyan urges to seek the problem in the question where Armenia has positioned itself:
– The way Armenia positions itself, the way they treat her. Why don’t we see the same from Russia towards Azerbaijan, in the end Armenia is the military partner of Russia, but our country appears in the target of Armenian-Russian problems and criticism more than Azerbaijan does with whom Russia has many problems starting from the 1990ss; conflict of interests, Azerbaijan refuted to give the Gabala station to Russians but they forgot about it and continued, yet we did not hear such cynical statements as they made about Armenia.
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To our inquiry whether the decrease of the pro-Armenian tendency by Russians is related to the wrong positioning of Armenia, Gevorg Meliqyan replied:
– I connect it with the authorities of RA as the emergence of Karen Karapetyan also speaks about the fact that the RF (Russian Federation) is very displeased with its relations with the authorities of RA and sees a necessity of some corrections especially in the financial issues.
The expert compared the function of Karen Karapetyan with the function of a chief auditor, whose aim is to control, especially the inflows and outflows of financial resources in the RA economy. To our observation that through the pipe of Karen Karapetyan Russia gets information about the economy of RA and by this Armenia becomes more controllable for Russia, Mr. Meliqyan said:
– Karen Karapetyan appoints his reliable people to different positions who should present the complete scene of flows and rollbacks, analyze how budgetary and extra-budgetary expenditures are done, especially where the funds envisaged for the military needs were spent. The Armenian side continuously blames the Russians, and they declare that it cannot continue like that as the received money is misspent inside Armenia, then they set the society against the Russians.
To our question whether the appointment of Karen Karapetyan was the best positioning for Armenia, whether it was an attempt to reconcile the Armenian-Russian relations, Mr. Meliqyan answered:
– I do not know whether they want to reconcile or to add the control. In some issues Russia has coarsened its stand as they have appeared in war situations in several sites and it is understandable that for Russians it is not a place, time and mood for a flirtation.
According to Gevorg Meliqyan, the anti-Russian wave annoys the Russians and they often connect it with the Western powers. And if the Armenian side does not prevent it then the Russian side may take measures that can be painful for RA. It is confirmed by the fact that the Russians are regularly trying to remind about the anti-Russian sentiments in RA by presenting different studies and statistical data. Gevorg Meliqyan stressed that it is important to watch the activities of Karen Karapetyan as a political figure and understand whether he has any ambition to become a political leader or his function is to ensure control in different economic, financial processes in RA. Serzh Sargsyan – Karen Karapetyan relationship will be the indicator according to which it would be possible to understand what the parliamentary elections of 2017 will be. To our question whether in this case the fact that Karen Karapetyan will become a member of RPA or not may be important, Mr. Meliqyan said:
– Becoming a member of RPA has two sides: whether RPA will win over Karen Karapetyan as it was in case of Tigran Sargsyan, and then the team of RPA will decide what political future Karen Karapetyan will have after the elections of 2017, or Karen Karapetyan will succeed in winning over the members of RPA when different representatives of RPA will start working for him.
To our question whether the last scenario is realistic, Mr. Meliqyan said:
– RPA is a business plan and whoever ensures profit, they will stand by him, let that be Serzh Sargsyan or Karen Karapetyan.
And to the question when the RPA membership of Karen Karapetyan will be ascertained, Mr. Meliqyan found it difficult to answer. He only mentioned that it would be possible that Karen Karapetyan would not like to link his steps with RPA when he had invested efforts, energy and time. On the other hand Gevorg Meliqyan reminded that Karen Karapetyan was appointed by Serzh Sargsyan or at least by his permission, therefore he is connected with Serzh Sargsyan by certain threads and he is still accountable to him.
TATEV HARUTYUNYAN
”Aravot”
