The shame of September 3, 2013, recorded a new aftershake right 4 years past that “blessed hour” when it became known that Armenia,, “at the last moment unfortunately”, as announced by the representative of the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, Giorgi Kacharava, refused to participate in extremely important military exercises in Orpholo military base deployed nearby Javakhk Akhaltsikhe.
By the message of August 29, the Ministry of Defense of Georgia informed that Georgia, the US, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Latvia and Armenia would take part in “Agile Spirit 2017” military exercises. The marine infantries of the US, “Abrams” tanks and other military technologies were arriving at Georgia and there was no other information in place about Yerevan, the media was focused on September 1 and then 2 – the celebrations of the declaration of Artsakh Independence, when the official website of the Ministry of Defense of Georgia posted a short message in Georgian on the military exercises, which encompassed a picture with the flags of the participant states, within which the flag of Armenia was absent and instead of it the flag of Azerbaijan had appeared. And on Sunday, on September 3, Kacharava explained what had happened… And a new shame had taken place the scales of which will be seen still in the future, and as life shows, the authorities of Armenia are unable to resist it.
All explanations implying that the decision of September 3, 2013, of refusing the Association Agreement with the EU was not made “at one night”, “negotiations were taking place”, “Europe was to be blamed”, “it was a matter of security”, etc., about which even the same day Galust Sahakyan did not know anything, directly 4 years after they came and became equal to zero from the perspective of value.
It is not difficult to imagine that the spokespersons of the authorities will try to make the public digest a new formulation of an “explanation” of what has taken place. If the shame of 4 years ago cast a shade on Armenia-EU relations, then this one includes the fields of security and defense, throwing a shade on Armenia’s relations with NATO, the US and Georgia. Back then they “were explaining”, now they will probably “explain”, although the refusal of the Spokesman of the Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan to give a response is the most eloquent and the impropriate reply to the situation.
However, this kind of “politics” is simply not serious any longer, is it? There is no need to prove that for Armenia the participation in these military exercises along with this group of participants, in the conditions of the current situation, especially in the context of Black Sea security, had simply a strategic significance. And Armenia’s refusal from taking part in these military exercises speaks of 3 factors,not overcome: the most rough blackmail of the “strategic ally”, administrative and intellectual impotency of the state machine, total absence of strategic vision and the inability of perceiving the events.
It was natural that Azerbaijan would appear in the list of the participants at the last moment similarly as Armenia refused the participation at the last moment, although Azerbaijan’s name was not mentioned in the list of the participants days ago and Armenian diplomacy can celebrate its regular “brilliant victory” on that occasion once again.
After all, if you are not sure whether to participate or not, you can insist on your intention in any circumstance, if not then you could have refused right from the beginning. From the other side, it is evident that you do not benefit a lot from refusing as well: Moscow has not trusted, does not trust and will not trust Armenia and it is not news. Moscow will not say “thank you” for that and, for example, it will not cease supplying weapons intended for attacking to Baku by believing the tears, it will not put energetics as a theft in place, will not give a medal to Robert Kocharyan, although it could give one for bringing us to this state and neither the signing of the agreement with the EU is guaranteed.
Eventually, what guarantees can be spoken about if the practice of a “one night” has received a regular character? It is evident that the political weight of the authority, the moral and intellectual level is no more equal to the current challenges, the provision of the issue of overcoming. Also, there can be no doubt that the future of Armenia is simply incompatible with Russia, with the current abnormal relations. And the issue is that the issue is not only the authority: the issue is the political field, which is filled with political trash not having any ties with politics maximally, which does not succeed in political imitation any longer as well.
And the US Ambassador to Armenia, Richard Mills was announcing a week ago that they want to be sure that: “Armenia has an opportunity to make sovereign decisions”… Well, if it had, it would make one. Unfortunately it appears so. And it is the question of the proceeding political questions , the sole question of political agenda, the solution of which is exceptionally in the hands of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia having dignity.
RUBEN MEHRABYAN
“Aravot”
