As always, I want to avoid extremes. Nonparticipation in the Georgian-American exercises was not a disgrace, not fall of the state, not a diplomatic defeat, nor a manifestation of servility. It’s a policy where interests must be balanced, where one must predict the potential benefits or loses in a certain step, etc. It’s hard to say whether the calculations were correct in this case. But I don’t think that complaining in any big or small occasion, that we don’t have a statehood, an army, diplomacy, Ministry of Emergency Situations, football, etc, contributes to the solution of the existing problems.
On the other hand, our authorities have not learned the right ways to communicate with the public. If there was no intention to take part in the exercises, they should have told about it a week before the publications, rather than keeping silence for seven days. You know, keeping silence, and not interpreting the news in some extent carries the following message: “As wise authorities, we know our steps, and we do not consider you, the citizens, worthy to be aware of our steps. When we deign to give explanations, then we will throw you some sentences”. Such arrogance, superciliousness, to put it mildly, does not contribute to the “government-society” dialogue.
The same extremes are reflected in the street renaming process. I have already written that haste, radical, revolutionary approaches here are unnecessary: first, we have to overcome the “post-Soviet” mentality of our minds, then to think about the symbols, otherwise, all the symbols will be fake. But the reaction of the supporters of the Kremlin and its policies is also puzzling. One of the Duma deputies directly said that if discussions on renaming continue, then Moscow will punish us. Note, not if such decision is made, but even if these issues are discussed. That is, a deputy of a country threatens the citizens of another country not to discuss a certain issue.
Then they wonder how “anti-Russian sentiments” arise in Armenia. Those are not the fault of Western grants, of Soros. One of the main reasons for this is the arrogant attitude of Russian officials.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
