Tweet
WHAT ELSE RUSSIA WILL TAKE
James Hakobyan
Lragir.am News
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments23931.html
12:02:29 - 26/10/2011
"Sure, we would like to discuss also new programs which would further
strengthen our relations", said Serzh Sargsyan at a meeting with the
Russian Premier Vladimir Putin in Moscow when Putin dwelt on bilateral
economic partnership.
What new programs can be carried out between Armenia and Russia, in
what field, what scale and stress? The energy sphere of Armenia almost
completely belongs to Russia or it is ruled through Russia. The only
exception if the Vorotan Cascade on which though Russia is already
focused and is perhaps trying to seize it too.
There is almost no strategic object in Armenia that does not belong
to Russia. The next of the few exceptions is perhaps the Zvartnots
Airport, which in 2001, was transferred to the asset management of
an Armenian from Argentina Eduardo Eurnekyan for 30 years who has
actually built a new and modern airport in Armenia.
There are so-called objects of future in Armenia that could become
new Armenian-Russian programs. For example, the Nuclear Power Plant
of Armenia. Russia announced it is going to pay only the 20% of
all the costs. France announced its readiness to take part in the
construction of the Plant, when Sarkozy was visiting Armenia. Will
the French factor create a possibility for Yerevan to blackmail a
little Russia and demand more than 20% which is equal to USD 1 billion?
The new Armenian-Russian program can be the North-South state highway,
which is already under construction financed by the Asian Bank but
the finances do not completely cover the costs of the construction. No
other country has yet expressed interest in it. Maybe, the only hope
of Armenia is Russia. But how we should interest Russia? How much is
the political or economic price going to be?
A high price is necessary also for the Armenia-Iran railway
construction. In general, the point is that Armenia pursues two goals
connected with Russia when fulfilling strategic projects: the point
is not only about to make Russia agree to finance projects, this is
the maximum goal, the minimum is to ensure it will not hinder Armenia
find other sources of finances.
Meanwhile, there is the expression that on the one hand, Russia is
possible to disagree to make investments in Armenia and on the other
hand, to threaten Armenia not to try to find other sources otherwise,
it will have problems with Russia.
The leaders of Armenia and Russia often state that the Armenian-Russian
economic cooperation is developing but it needs much to reach the
level of the political cooperation. Actually, the Armenian and Russian
economic cooperation has long reached this level and it is equally
unhealthy as the political and humanitarian cooperation.
The issue on the Armenian and Russian cooperation has already come
out of the amount plane and is now on the quality plane. This is
the problem, because under the current qualities of the relations,
the more they deepen, the worse they become as an organism.
For example, it is evident that Russian investments in Armenia pursue
political interest rather than economic. No accident, there is no
growth of quality, modernization and no large-scale process in the
spheres of Russian investments in Armenia. How it can be if the same
is absent in Russia, where the hope is the economic-political effect
of energy.
The economic expansion is a more capable version and a tool of the
political expansions. But, say, the Western countries that use this
tool put the stress on the quality rather than scales.
For example, less Western investments pursue strategic effects in
Armenia in contrast with Russian ones, because Western investments in
Armenia tangible, if not completely, change the quality. They form
modern business culture, relations, modern work culture and feeling
of accountability in Armenia without which Armenia is unable to think
of becoming a competitive country.
Russian investments serve as a tool to keep the Armenian authorities
tranquil, as well as they provide the state statistics with "raw"
which has no strategic, far-fetching quality and they do not help
Armenia to increase its quality as a state.
In this sense, it is time to dwell not on Armenian-Russian programs
but new quality of the existing programs. But the issue is whether
the Russian government wants to talk about this. It is even doubtful
whether the Armenian authorities want to talk about this to the
Russian government.
James Hakobyan
Lragir.am News
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments23931.html
12:02:29 - 26/10/2011
"Sure, we would like to discuss also new programs which would further
strengthen our relations", said Serzh Sargsyan at a meeting with the
Russian Premier Vladimir Putin in Moscow when Putin dwelt on bilateral
economic partnership.
What new programs can be carried out between Armenia and Russia, in
what field, what scale and stress? The energy sphere of Armenia almost
completely belongs to Russia or it is ruled through Russia. The only
exception if the Vorotan Cascade on which though Russia is already
focused and is perhaps trying to seize it too.
There is almost no strategic object in Armenia that does not belong
to Russia. The next of the few exceptions is perhaps the Zvartnots
Airport, which in 2001, was transferred to the asset management of
an Armenian from Argentina Eduardo Eurnekyan for 30 years who has
actually built a new and modern airport in Armenia.
There are so-called objects of future in Armenia that could become
new Armenian-Russian programs. For example, the Nuclear Power Plant
of Armenia. Russia announced it is going to pay only the 20% of
all the costs. France announced its readiness to take part in the
construction of the Plant, when Sarkozy was visiting Armenia. Will
the French factor create a possibility for Yerevan to blackmail a
little Russia and demand more than 20% which is equal to USD 1 billion?
The new Armenian-Russian program can be the North-South state highway,
which is already under construction financed by the Asian Bank but
the finances do not completely cover the costs of the construction. No
other country has yet expressed interest in it. Maybe, the only hope
of Armenia is Russia. But how we should interest Russia? How much is
the political or economic price going to be?
A high price is necessary also for the Armenia-Iran railway
construction. In general, the point is that Armenia pursues two goals
connected with Russia when fulfilling strategic projects: the point
is not only about to make Russia agree to finance projects, this is
the maximum goal, the minimum is to ensure it will not hinder Armenia
find other sources of finances.
Meanwhile, there is the expression that on the one hand, Russia is
possible to disagree to make investments in Armenia and on the other
hand, to threaten Armenia not to try to find other sources otherwise,
it will have problems with Russia.
The leaders of Armenia and Russia often state that the Armenian-Russian
economic cooperation is developing but it needs much to reach the
level of the political cooperation. Actually, the Armenian and Russian
economic cooperation has long reached this level and it is equally
unhealthy as the political and humanitarian cooperation.
The issue on the Armenian and Russian cooperation has already come
out of the amount plane and is now on the quality plane. This is
the problem, because under the current qualities of the relations,
the more they deepen, the worse they become as an organism.
For example, it is evident that Russian investments in Armenia pursue
political interest rather than economic. No accident, there is no
growth of quality, modernization and no large-scale process in the
spheres of Russian investments in Armenia. How it can be if the same
is absent in Russia, where the hope is the economic-political effect
of energy.
The economic expansion is a more capable version and a tool of the
political expansions. But, say, the Western countries that use this
tool put the stress on the quality rather than scales.
For example, less Western investments pursue strategic effects in
Armenia in contrast with Russian ones, because Western investments in
Armenia tangible, if not completely, change the quality. They form
modern business culture, relations, modern work culture and feeling
of accountability in Armenia without which Armenia is unable to think
of becoming a competitive country.
Russian investments serve as a tool to keep the Armenian authorities
tranquil, as well as they provide the state statistics with "raw"
which has no strategic, far-fetching quality and they do not help
Armenia to increase its quality as a state.
In this sense, it is time to dwell not on Armenian-Russian programs
but new quality of the existing programs. But the issue is whether
the Russian government wants to talk about this. It is even doubtful
whether the Armenian authorities want to talk about this to the
Russian government.