Serzh Sargsyan's 'Tizbon'
Haik Aramyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments27182.html
Published: 22:44:55 - 24/08/2012
Serzh Sargsyan's attendance to the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement
in Tehran has led to controversial opinions. The vice-president of
Heritage Stepan Safaryan, for instance, thinks that Sargsyan's
participation may spoil our relations with the West and the United
States particularly, considering that the United States has called
these countries not to take part in this summit.
Stepan Safaryan says it is possible that Russia has forced Sargsyan to
go to Tehran though there was a reason not to visit. These non-aligned
countries adopted a provision on Azerbaijan's territorial integrity in
the last summit. By the way, last year Sargsyan boycotted Chicago
nuclear summit with this excuse. However, there was a credible opinion
that he boycotted not to anger Russia.
What do we have now? Armenia has to conduct a `courtesy' policy rather
than a foreign policy based on its interests. Courtesy to Russia and
Iran is very important this time. Russia is ready to do anything in
Armenia whenever it is upset and it has a lot of levers for that,
including economic, political, agents, propaganda, etc. And Iran is a
friend whose interests, unlike Russia, are in line with the interests
of Armenia. Besides, unlike Russia, Iran is a real economic and
political partner, and our partnership is based on equality and
`non-compulsion'.
As to the West, there seems to be no matter of courtesy. The West
believes in other principles and culture of relations and will
probably understand this one single visit of Serzh Sargsyan and the
difficult situation he has found himself in. It has been the case
before. Besides, Armenia has a very serious role in further plans of
the West on Armenia and the South Caucasus. The plan will hardly be
reviewed because of one meaningless summit.
Serzh Sargsyan's situation is different. He rules in a period when the
world undergoes dramatic changes leading new geopolitical arrangements
and configurations. There is an issue of being in line with these
processes and this issue will become increasingly acute. And if so far
there has been room for maneuver, it will be impossible soon, not
because there will be no room to maneuver but because of the nature of
the Armenian way of maneuvering.
One can go anywhere, including Tehran. The agenda and posture is
important. The geopolitical process is irreversible and it is
important in what capacity the country participates in it, an
independent player, partner or a satellite of a great power. When the
country is a player or a partner, it gets a chance to resolve its
problems. In the second case its problems are solved by others without
taking into account its interests. There are a lot of examples on
Russia's orbit, including the loss of Western Armenia and Karabakh and
Azerbaijan annexed by Azerbaijan.
It is necessary to change the internal political and economic
situation, philosophy of governance, form elite which will be adequate
to the challenges of new times. Otherwise any visit of the rulers of
Armenia to any capital will be the next `Tizbon' with the miserable
idea of native land and paper ladle. The Armenian political and
economic elite are now incapable of this. Moreover, they are
anti-national by nature and a threat to national security and
sovereignty.
From: Baghdasarian
Haik Aramyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments27182.html
Published: 22:44:55 - 24/08/2012
Serzh Sargsyan's attendance to the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement
in Tehran has led to controversial opinions. The vice-president of
Heritage Stepan Safaryan, for instance, thinks that Sargsyan's
participation may spoil our relations with the West and the United
States particularly, considering that the United States has called
these countries not to take part in this summit.
Stepan Safaryan says it is possible that Russia has forced Sargsyan to
go to Tehran though there was a reason not to visit. These non-aligned
countries adopted a provision on Azerbaijan's territorial integrity in
the last summit. By the way, last year Sargsyan boycotted Chicago
nuclear summit with this excuse. However, there was a credible opinion
that he boycotted not to anger Russia.
What do we have now? Armenia has to conduct a `courtesy' policy rather
than a foreign policy based on its interests. Courtesy to Russia and
Iran is very important this time. Russia is ready to do anything in
Armenia whenever it is upset and it has a lot of levers for that,
including economic, political, agents, propaganda, etc. And Iran is a
friend whose interests, unlike Russia, are in line with the interests
of Armenia. Besides, unlike Russia, Iran is a real economic and
political partner, and our partnership is based on equality and
`non-compulsion'.
As to the West, there seems to be no matter of courtesy. The West
believes in other principles and culture of relations and will
probably understand this one single visit of Serzh Sargsyan and the
difficult situation he has found himself in. It has been the case
before. Besides, Armenia has a very serious role in further plans of
the West on Armenia and the South Caucasus. The plan will hardly be
reviewed because of one meaningless summit.
Serzh Sargsyan's situation is different. He rules in a period when the
world undergoes dramatic changes leading new geopolitical arrangements
and configurations. There is an issue of being in line with these
processes and this issue will become increasingly acute. And if so far
there has been room for maneuver, it will be impossible soon, not
because there will be no room to maneuver but because of the nature of
the Armenian way of maneuvering.
One can go anywhere, including Tehran. The agenda and posture is
important. The geopolitical process is irreversible and it is
important in what capacity the country participates in it, an
independent player, partner or a satellite of a great power. When the
country is a player or a partner, it gets a chance to resolve its
problems. In the second case its problems are solved by others without
taking into account its interests. There are a lot of examples on
Russia's orbit, including the loss of Western Armenia and Karabakh and
Azerbaijan annexed by Azerbaijan.
It is necessary to change the internal political and economic
situation, philosophy of governance, form elite which will be adequate
to the challenges of new times. Otherwise any visit of the rulers of
Armenia to any capital will be the next `Tizbon' with the miserable
idea of native land and paper ladle. The Armenian political and
economic elite are now incapable of this. Moreover, they are
anti-national by nature and a threat to national security and
sovereignty.
From: Baghdasarian