Vagharshak Harutyunyan believes that Europe imposes value system on us, accept anti-Armenian resolutions, turn off the microphone of PACE deputies. Former Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan referring to the comments on the creation of the Armenian-Russian joint troops announced that what is directed against the Armenian-Russian relations derives from the interests of Azerbaijan and Turkey.
In a conversation with us, in response to the question about the Russian-Armenian vassal relationships, Mr. Harutyunyan said that Russia has never imposed Armenia to adopt any laws, has not interfered in the internal affairs, has not impose their own value system, “It supplies weapons that are produced only by Russia and not to any other countries. We have no visa regime with Russia, our citizens are free to move in and out. Russia is implementing a project of the loan to extend the term of operation of the nuclear power for 10 years which provides 40 percent of Armenia’s energy supply. The oil products and weapons are sold at domestic prices. We have no customs restrictions: free transportation of goods. This list can be long.”
Vagharshak Harutyunyan believes that the implemented campaign is the reason why we think that our relations with Russia are as of a vassal, “Why do people who say that we have vassal relationships with the Russians do not say that we have vassal relationships with the West? The 80% of our natural raw materials go to the European countries, there was a time when we were forced in some ways to adopt laws which lose their power when accessing to the EaEU. And it is natural that they should be against the EaEU. In particular, the customs duty on this exported raw materials was 4% when it was 25-30 % in the world, as a result, almost no money was entering our budget for many years. When we access the EaEU, this duty became 25-30 percent, and the huge amounts that were coming out of the country remain in our budget. The West is losing billions here.
And where is our benefit: the 30% goes to our budget or goes out? While with Europe, we have a visa regime, the laws undergo testing, they are imposing a value system, do not give any guarantee of security, adopt anti-Armenian resolutions, turn off the microphones of the PACE deputies. This list can also be long. And let the reader decide with whom we have vassal relationships.”
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Addressing the NK conflict and the speculation of the concession of lands, Vagharshak Harutyunyan said that the policy of the three presidents was the same, all 3 of them have said that they are ready to cede lands for in return to the status. To our question that in the past, there were talks about concession of lands in exchange for the status but in recent years, the concept seemed to be changed “territories in exchange for peace”, Harutyunyan replied, “You are under the influence of campaigning war. Believe me!”
Since 1997, Karabakh was left out of the negotiation process, in response to our question of whether there was no such opportunity after the war in April to return Karabakh to the table of negotiations because Serzh Sargsyan already made a remark on it but later it was forgotten, Vagharshak Harutyunyan replied, “Karabakh’s involvement in various times was different. At this time, the Armenian side has laid a demand to establish mechanisms in the line of contact which would reveal the party violating the ceasefire agreement which was adopted by the co-chairs in St. Petersburg and Vienna. The Azerbaijani side agreed in Vienna but later refused which obviously speaks of the fact that who violates the ceasefire agreement. The Armenian side has announced that the resumption of negotiations is possible only in the case of the fulfillment of this agreement. And after the resumption of the negotiations, I am sure, the Armenian side will demand the involvement of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiations to which Azerbaijan naturally will go against”.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
