Whom does Armenia striving for strength hinder?
Part of a massive interview from the US Ambassador to Armenia has caused a fuss. Let us see what Richard Mills has said: «Armenia is carrying out a nice work, balancing its relations with all its neighbors, including Russia, Iran, the United States and the European Union. Once I arrived in Armenia my position was clear: the US has never viewed its relations with Armenia as a game with a “zero” result, that is, our relations should be stronger and deeper, but Armenia’s relations with other countries should deteriorate. It has never been the US government’s goal, and I do not think that’s the goal of the Armenian government. But I have to be clear: we have clearly said that our aim is to be sure that Armenia can make its sovereign decisions, which path it chooses, which economic, political model it chooses. We want to give Armenia tools to continue making sovereign decisions and be sure that Armenia will not be subject to pressures by others to pursue a path which Armenia does not want to walk through”.
We have already touched upon recent certain suspicious “attention” attacks over Armenia. Recently there is no shortage of “dissatisfaction” and “concerns” being announced from Russia and Azerbaijan over presenting Armenia as Russia’s enemy, or over the increase in anti-Russian moods in Armenia.
Interestingly those sentiments emerged after new impetus for development in Armenia-Iran relations, Armenian-Chinese Armenian-Israeli relations, and, of course, Armenia’s participation in two NATO exercises. It should be noted that Agile Spirit 2017 military exercises will be organized by US and Georgia in Akhaltskha, Orpholo Military Training Centre on September 3-11. According to the Georgian Defence Ministry, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Latvia and Romania will participate in the exercises. Exercises will include field and staff stages. Their goal is to expand cooperation within NATO’s rapid reaction forces, as well as cooperation between the United States and other countries. Since 2011, Agile Spirit exercises are held in Georgia every year, in the beginning only the US and Georgia were participating, and later in 2015 other countries also joined.
Even if the government does not express dissatisfaction, it is clear that the Russian side will express “jealousy” from expert and political circles. It is not unexpected that in this background, in the Azerbaijani websites Russian experts have started not to exclude that “the European Union can delay the signing of the document with Armenia”.
In fact, a situation has emerged when Russian jealousy and Azerbaijani hatred have been merged against Armenia’s sovereignty. And it has its reasons. The presence of weak, non-resolute, unconfident Armenian authorities in the Karabakh negotiations are in the Russian-Azerbaijani interests.
The US ambassador to Armenia has presented a position which expresses the ideas of Washington only. They just want to make sure that Armenia can make sovereign decisions in choosing an economic, political model.
But don’t the Armenian citizens want that? During all these years, have not we complained and opposed the lack of Armenia’s freedom of speech, lack of position, and influence?
So, whom does Armenia striving for strength hinder? This is not a rhetorical question, everybody knows the answer, just because of some motives, some individuals ready to gerrymander the US Ambassador’s statement, will use it in favour of their own beliefs, and the result will be the following: “see, the West has increased the influence on Armenia”, “the West seeks a second Ukraine in Armenia”, “you should not allow Western figures to “poison” Armenia, etc…
This is more than a primitive theatre performance, that has already bored everyone, we just need to be able to perceive the real motives of those “concerned” and “worried” and make conclusions.
Emma GABRIELYAN
