“National-Democratic Pole” organization held a protest on Sunday in Gyumri, near the 102nd military base. I have my attitude towards that organization, especially regarding the attack and murder of the so-called “Sasna Crer” on the police regiment in 2016. Moreover, the demand for Russia to fulfill its obligations should not be put before the soldiers, especially not in the Berdzor corridor. Azerbaijan’s failure to lift the blockade is the decision of Russia’s political leadership, not the military.
Therefore, I would consider it more natural for the demonstration to take place in Yerevan, near the Russian embassy. But I also don’t understand those who overly enthusiastically condemn the NDP demonstration. From those “condemnations,” one can get the impression that Russia and the CSTO own their signatures, but a few dozen people are complaining about the flawless work of that country and that structure. In my opinion, Armenian society has no severe disagreements on this issue; almost everyone is dissatisfied. Our task is to find the points that unite us, not divide us, and not throw accusations of “agents of the West” and “Putin’s agency” at each other.
The idea that there are two paths, one of which awaits us with salvation and development and the other with slavery and colonization (the same NDP organization also supports this dividing line), is hollow and meaningless. Being an “outpost” or “province” of Russia is just as bad as being an “island” or “bastion” of democracy.
Democracy, as crucial as it is for the organization of our domestic life, is useless as a “product” that can be sold to the West. Compared to Azerbaijan, our being more democratic did not give us any advantage in the war. After that, it did not save us from Azerbaijan’s aggression and the blockade of Artsakh.
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In the same way, being nominally an “ally” with Russia and a CSTO member does not protect us. One of our most important tasks is to think outside of that paradigm in a purely pragmatic field. Not to argue about which of those dilemmas is better or worse, but to give up that dilemma and throw it away.
Without that, we have many meaningless dividing lines, particularly “present”-“former.” Is it time to create new topics of discussion?
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
