The Armenian society and political figures lack pragmatism, perhaps due to the desire to demonstrate “integrity”. One of the latest examples is Garo Paylan’s visit in Armenia. The fact that he is “pro-turkish” and represents Turkey’s interests was presented as “exposure”. But whose interests could he represent ? Would you respect a MP of any country that does not represent their state’s interests? Of course, it’s not like Erdogan called Paylan and gave him instructions as to what to say in Armenia. Things, in my view, are a bit more complicated. I am sure, that the Turkish political life has different layers.
Same thing applies to Russia, which has a figure like Konstantin Zatulin who deals with Armenia or Sergey Markov who has ties with Azerbaijan. But both represent Russian interests, the same way Garo Paylyan represents Turkish ones. I think those people need to be heard and we ought to take advantage of the contacts. Without getting fired up about their “Pro-Arminianism”, of course.
One’s name and their Armenian origin does not seal the deal, I agree. But if someone refers to themself as Armenian, it can be used. I am going to say something “awful”, which our “pro-europeans” will not be keen on. We all know who Margarita Simonyan is, she is a pioneer of the “Goebbels-style” Putin propaganda that justifies her country’s frenzied aggression against Ukraine. Is that the reason she was proclaimed “unwanted” in Armenia, and is that the reason for insults directed at her from our governmental propagandists? Perhaps it is possible to gain some benefit from having contact with her?
Pragmatism in our internal political life decreases as well. Particularly, I mean that the fact that opposition forces bicker with each other way more frequently than with the authorities. “Bever” (National Democratic Pole), the Armenian National Congress and the parliament opposition are so concerned with one another, that I get the impression of a chess contest, where you can only fight the final “champion” if you have defeated the other contestants. A never ending battle for the title of the “best” and the “realest” opposition has been going on in Armenia. So the result is Ishkhan Saghatelyan criticizing Levon Ter-Petrosyan (naturally, receiving “counter-attacks”) and and the non-parliamentary opposition is doing everything to discredit the rally of the Republican and ARF parties.
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Aram Abrahamyan
