Prime Minister Pashinyan can consider the creation of a united state with Russia and Belarus as a possibility to extend his length of time in power. For the moment, let’s set aside how unacceptable and dangerous this situation is for us. We should not compare ourselves with Belarus, a country with European borders and a country that transports Russian gas to Europe. I also believe that this unity would not strengthen our security in any way. But let’s consider the legal aspect of this problem. According to part one of Article 205 of the Constitution, “The issues related with the accession by the Republic of Armenia to supranational international organizations, as well as those related with territorial changes of the Republic of Armenia shall be resolved through referenda.” I believe that the Russia-Belarus united state would be considered a supranational organization, and if lawyers do not come up with some difficult scenarios, then we would need to hold a referendum for joining that state. So, if such an issue arises, then it would be preferred for that issue to be resolved through a referendum, and not based on the Prime Minister’s wishes. Otherwise, it’s very possible that he or any other prime minister may choose to make Armenia a vilayet of Turkey one day. If the referendum is fair, it will be interesting to find out what percentage of Armenian citizens truly want to have an independent state. In any case, I hope that the majority will vote in favor of independence.
Read the entire editorial in Armenian: https://www.aravot.am/2020/12/02/1156070/
Aram Abrahamyan
