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E Abrahamyan: Armenia could play more important role in the region

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  • E Abrahamyan: Armenia could play more important role in the region

    PanARMENIAN.Net

    Eduard Abrahamyan:
    Armenia could play more important role in the region

    Election of new Presidents in Armenian and Russia,
    upcoming presidential election in Azerbaijan and shift
    of leader in the White House will inevitably influence
    on foreign policy of many states. It's especially
    vivid in the South Caucasus. Armenia's relations with
    neighbors and world powers depend on the republic's
    foreign policy. Chairman of Mitq analytical center,
    historian Eduard Abrahamyan comments to
    PanARMENIAN.Net on his vision of the situation.
    07.05.2008 GMT+04:00

    What should be the priorities of Armenia's foreign
    policy?

    One of the priority tasks for Armenia's should be
    settlement of liberated territories in Nagorno
    Karabakh and support to NKR's foreign policy. The
    Armenian-Azeri so-called consultations produced no
    effect. With creation of the Kosovo precedent,
    official Yerevan should recognize both Kosovo and
    Nagorno Karabakh. With densely populated NKR, it will
    be possible to prevent a new war between Karabakh and
    Azerbaijan.

    Another key task is cooperation with NATO and Shanghai
    Cooperation Organization (SCO), which claims to become
    the major military-political bloc and a counterbalance
    to the Alliance. Besides, our neighbor Iran has
    already announced intention to join the SCO.

    Yerevan's joining the Organization will open new
    horizons and possibilities to participate in global
    economic projects. Moreover, contrary to pro-western
    Azerbaijan, Armenia can become an alternative for many
    Asian gas exporters and act as transit country.

    However, it doesn't mean that we should stand up
    against NATO. What we should do is to assess the
    situation and decide on the benefits we can gain from
    cooperating with the blocs.

    Strengthening of ties with states which are not
    Armenia's military and strategic partners is also
    important. To be self-sufficient we should get rid of
    the complex of `a helpless nation' and develop viable
    projects for consolidation of Armenian state system in
    the South Caucasus.


    How real is the end of Russia's presence in the South
    Caucasus?


    Presently, the Russia is not deciding `to be or not to
    be' in the South Caucasus. Moscow has been trying to
    strengthen its influence in the region so far. The
    point is that Russia has two tools of pressure in
    Georgia and none in Azerbaijan. It's quite obvious
    that the Kremlin has for a long time Karabakh as a
    pressing factor. Now, due to Artsakh's complete
    isolation from Azerbaijan, the situation has changed.

    Possibly, national tensions in north of Azerbaijan and
    Baku's aggressive policy toward Dagestani-speaking
    population can offer Moscow a chance for creating an
    alternative factor.
    However, Russia's unawareness of mentality and
    capabilities of North Caucasus nations often resulted
    in paralyzing of ethnic problems. This problem may be
    viewed as omission by Armenia, which in the course of
    15 years made no effort to convince Moscow of its
    determination to finally resolve the `Azeri issue'.
    Today, in the light of the U.S.-Turkey tensions, some
    Russian forces speak out for stabilization of
    relations with Ankara.


    What's Armenia's actual role in the region?


    In my opinion, Armenia could play a more important
    role in the region, irrelative of the NKR issue or
    blockade imposed by Turkey. The role of our state is
    badly demanded over the lack of flexibility in the
    foreign policy. Armenia proves unable to suppress the
    growing anti-Armenian moods in Georgia. But as a
    matter of fact, our republic could be an unofficial
    guarantor of sustainable development of
    Armenian-inhabited Samtskhe Javakheti and strengthen
    Armenian economic and political influence on Ajaria
    via promoting political and territorial autonomization
    of Samtskhe Javakheti. It would force Georgia to
    consider Yerevan's opinion. Ajaria and Samtskhe
    Javakheti make the outlet toward to the Black Sea
    which is the solution to the problem of blockade.

    Let's look how Baku pursues its policy in Kvemo
    Kartli, where plants and enterprises are established
    with the Azerbaijani capital. Furthermore, political
    consolidation of Azeri population in Georgia has
    started with formation of regional political bodies
    like the Azeri national assembly and the Party of
    Azerbaijanis of Georgia.

    To avoid a calamity, the new leadership of Armenia
    should prevent Georgian assimilation and outflow of
    Armenians from Samtskhe Javakheti via direct
    investments in its economy and its transformation into
    a political entity.


    Is normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
    possible in the foreseeable future?


    I wouldn't say. The fact is that Turkic solidarity is
    gaining weight. Turkey is not interested in
    independence and uncontrollable Armenia. During the
    soviet era, Ankara was trying to weaken Russia's
    influence and cement the Turkic bloc and Islamic
    fundamentalism.

    As to Georgia, it has to put up with the economic
    expansion of Turkey, which under supervision of its
    Western allies keeps on developing various scenarios
    of so-called Turkish projects where Armenia is
    perceived as a temporal political entity, completely
    yielding to Azerbaijan.

    However, despite political confrontation, I can't rule
    out official economic ties between the two states,
    especially because informal economic contacts has
    existed and developed since Armenia proclaimed
    independence


    How do you assess Azerbaijan's policy toward Iran?


    Azerbaijan is becoming a state which develops aims and
    objectives for strengthening its influence in entire
    Middle East. It has always pursued a balanced and
    cautious policy toward Iran. Exploiting the factor of
    Southern Azerbaijan, Baku is aspired to cause a split
    in the Iranian society, thus playing in Washington's
    hands, which views the situation as a good platform to
    be used against Tehran.

    However, Baku also tries to cooperate with Iran in
    energy and commutation fields in order to isolate
    Armenia fro regional projects.


    Can Baku manipulate energy sources?


    Baku has always viewed the energy and communication
    resources as an extra political tool for gaining
    maximal political concessions from its economic
    companions. It specifically refers to the Karabakh
    issue and Azerbaijan's influence in the region.
    Nevertheless, many European states eye Azerbaijan as a
    country which supplies energy sources bypassing Russia
    and often satisfy its whims despite obvious
    unwillingness to do so. Presently, Azerbaijan is by
    all means trying to gain maximal benefits from Nabucco
    project which will offer a possibility to leave
    Armenia behind.
    «PanARMENIAN.Net», 07.05.2008
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