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What the Papers Say (Russia)
May 27, 2008 Tuesday
SOCIOLOGICAL WAR IN CAUCASUS
by Marina Perevozkina
GALLUP CLAIMS THAT MOSCOW'S POPULARITY IS GOING DOWN IN ARMENIA AND UP
IN AZERBAIJAN; Gallup poll: popularity of Russia is down in Armenia
and up in Azerbaijan.
According to Gallup, 62% of the population of Armenia, Russia's
traditional ally in the Caucasus, is displeased with Russian
policy. In Georgia, the Kremlin's activities in the region and
worldwide are approved of by only 22% which is hardly surprising. Most
Ukrainians (53%), however, approve of the Russian state policy despite
official Kiev's current attitude. Approval of the Russian policy is
even higher in Azerbaijan where 66% support Moscow. In some Central
Asian countries meanwhile the Kremlin has nearly unconditional support
(87% in Kazakhstan and 92% in Tajikistan).
The data on Armenia are a shocker, of course. Said Alexander
Iskandarjan, Director of the Caucasus Media Institute, "It has never
been like that yet. Analogous opinion poll last year came up with
polar results."
According to the Armenian political scientist, the trend is first and
foremost ascribed to the fact that the people who lived in the USSR
are gradually making way for younger generations. "Armenian conscience
associates Russia with the late Soviet Union," Iskandarjan said.
"Armenian youths on the other hand see Russia as an abstraction. It is
only logical to expect stronger criticism of Russia from them...
Murders of the Armenians in Russia are another factor that cannot be
dismissed. They do not care in Armenia that this bigotry is focused on
everyone from the Tajiks to Gypsies, and not on the Armenians only.
Anyway, it creates a negative atmosphere that did not even exist 7-8
years ago." Iskandarjan said, however, that all of these were but
secondary reasons and explanations of so radical a change in Armenian
public conscience.
"Russia is upping gas prices," Iskandarjan said. "Its decision sent
food prices and transport fees in Armenia soaring sky-high. All of
that could stir a thoroughly anti-Russian disposition in Armenia."
As for Russia's support in Azerbaijan, Iskandarjan ascribed it to
existence of a fairly large Russian diaspora in this country. There
are lots of Russian newspapers in Baku unlike Yerevan.
Mikhail Alexandrov of the Institute of CIS Countries regards results
of the Gallup opinion poll as just another episode in the information
war between Russia and the West. "No, I can't say I trust these
results. I'd say Gallup was carrying out a political order,"
Alexandrov shrugged. "The West was grossly disappointed when it failed
to install Levon Ter-Petrosjan as the president again in another color
revolution. This failure sent all of its strategy in the Caucasus down
the drain. After all, Ter-Petrosjan had already given consent to
promote the Karabakh solution the West wanted. He was prepared to
withdraw the Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories
without official recognition of Karabakh by Baku in advance. It would
have meant a gradual return of Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Without the
Armenian troops, Karabakh would have eventually found itself in a
siege and capitulated sooner or later. NATO needs Azerbaijan in itself
because it will enable the Alliance to gain access to the Caspian Sea,
establish military bases in Azerbaijan, and set up control over the
energy corridor from Central Asia. Aware of it, Baku said "No
problems" but demanded settlement of the Karabakh conflict in its
favor. Serj Sarkisjan in the meantime refuses to play ball and
frustrates efforts of the West to solve its problems in the region."
"The Gallup poll is another reason for the Kremlin to give a thought
to the policy it has been promoting on the territory known as the
post-Soviet zone," diplomat and analyst Mikhail Demurin
said. "Sixty-two percent critics in Armenia constitute a serious
problem. An even worse problem as I see it is posed by the level of
support in Ukraine, 53% only... I'd like to know the figures for
Belarus, by the way."
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No 105, May 27, 2008, p. 12
What the Papers Say (Russia)
May 27, 2008 Tuesday
SOCIOLOGICAL WAR IN CAUCASUS
by Marina Perevozkina
GALLUP CLAIMS THAT MOSCOW'S POPULARITY IS GOING DOWN IN ARMENIA AND UP
IN AZERBAIJAN; Gallup poll: popularity of Russia is down in Armenia
and up in Azerbaijan.
According to Gallup, 62% of the population of Armenia, Russia's
traditional ally in the Caucasus, is displeased with Russian
policy. In Georgia, the Kremlin's activities in the region and
worldwide are approved of by only 22% which is hardly surprising. Most
Ukrainians (53%), however, approve of the Russian state policy despite
official Kiev's current attitude. Approval of the Russian policy is
even higher in Azerbaijan where 66% support Moscow. In some Central
Asian countries meanwhile the Kremlin has nearly unconditional support
(87% in Kazakhstan and 92% in Tajikistan).
The data on Armenia are a shocker, of course. Said Alexander
Iskandarjan, Director of the Caucasus Media Institute, "It has never
been like that yet. Analogous opinion poll last year came up with
polar results."
According to the Armenian political scientist, the trend is first and
foremost ascribed to the fact that the people who lived in the USSR
are gradually making way for younger generations. "Armenian conscience
associates Russia with the late Soviet Union," Iskandarjan said.
"Armenian youths on the other hand see Russia as an abstraction. It is
only logical to expect stronger criticism of Russia from them...
Murders of the Armenians in Russia are another factor that cannot be
dismissed. They do not care in Armenia that this bigotry is focused on
everyone from the Tajiks to Gypsies, and not on the Armenians only.
Anyway, it creates a negative atmosphere that did not even exist 7-8
years ago." Iskandarjan said, however, that all of these were but
secondary reasons and explanations of so radical a change in Armenian
public conscience.
"Russia is upping gas prices," Iskandarjan said. "Its decision sent
food prices and transport fees in Armenia soaring sky-high. All of
that could stir a thoroughly anti-Russian disposition in Armenia."
As for Russia's support in Azerbaijan, Iskandarjan ascribed it to
existence of a fairly large Russian diaspora in this country. There
are lots of Russian newspapers in Baku unlike Yerevan.
Mikhail Alexandrov of the Institute of CIS Countries regards results
of the Gallup opinion poll as just another episode in the information
war between Russia and the West. "No, I can't say I trust these
results. I'd say Gallup was carrying out a political order,"
Alexandrov shrugged. "The West was grossly disappointed when it failed
to install Levon Ter-Petrosjan as the president again in another color
revolution. This failure sent all of its strategy in the Caucasus down
the drain. After all, Ter-Petrosjan had already given consent to
promote the Karabakh solution the West wanted. He was prepared to
withdraw the Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories
without official recognition of Karabakh by Baku in advance. It would
have meant a gradual return of Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Without the
Armenian troops, Karabakh would have eventually found itself in a
siege and capitulated sooner or later. NATO needs Azerbaijan in itself
because it will enable the Alliance to gain access to the Caspian Sea,
establish military bases in Azerbaijan, and set up control over the
energy corridor from Central Asia. Aware of it, Baku said "No
problems" but demanded settlement of the Karabakh conflict in its
favor. Serj Sarkisjan in the meantime refuses to play ball and
frustrates efforts of the West to solve its problems in the region."
"The Gallup poll is another reason for the Kremlin to give a thought
to the policy it has been promoting on the territory known as the
post-Soviet zone," diplomat and analyst Mikhail Demurin
said. "Sixty-two percent critics in Armenia constitute a serious
problem. An even worse problem as I see it is posed by the level of
support in Ukraine, 53% only... I'd like to know the figures for
Belarus, by the way."
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No 105, May 27, 2008, p. 12