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Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
June 7 2013
Armenia between Brussels and Moscow
7 June 2013 - 10:35am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to `Vestnik Kavkaza'
Traditionally Armenia is a country which actively participates in all
events organized by the CSTO. It has been a member of the organization
since its foundation in 1992. Armenia initiated a series of ideas
which were implemented within cooperation between the CSTO members.
That is why absence of Armenian President Serge Sargsyan at the
informal summit of the CSTO on May 28th in Bishkek caused interest in
Armenia...
Despite explanations of the press service that Serge Sargsyan didn't
take part in the informal summit because it coincided with marking Day
of the First Republic of Armenia, many people considered this step as
certain demarche by the head of the state. President's rejection to
visit Bishkek was associated with the rumors on problems in
Armenian-Russian relations, which as if appeared because of gas
prices' increasing.
The Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia Artur
Bagdasaryan immediately told the mass media that non-participation of
Armenian President in the informal summit of the CSTO couldn't be
considered as demarche. Bagdasaryan stated that Serge Sargsyan has
already stated on his participation in the official CSTO summit in
December 2013.
There are a lot of opinions disapproving statements from Yerevan. The
leader of the opposition party `New Times' Aram Karapetyan says that
the President's decision not to go to Bishkek is a real demarche. He
accuses Sargsyan of a detailed, developed geopolitical concept and
states that the geopolitical position of Srgsyan is based on the
principle `who gives more.' Karapetyan thinks that absence of
President in Bishkek is connected not with his foreign political
approaches, but increasing Russian gas prices. And that is why Yerevan
often speaks about European integration as an alternative today.
These conclusions can be added with the information that Europe
seriously promised 2 billion euro to Yerevan after signing the
Association Agreement. It can be signed at the summit of Eastern
Partnership in Vilnius which will be held on November 28-29, 2013.
However, considering complete unclearness of what demands and what
concessions the West will claim from Armenia , these billions will
hardly improve the country.
None of devoted supporters of European integration in Armenia can
clearly answer a simple question on what Europe which is in the crisis
today can give to Armenia in the future. However, it didn't prevent
the speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ovik Abramyan to
characterize European integration on May 31st at the session of the
PACE permanent commission in Yerevan as `a thoughtful choice of
Armenia, which corresponds to Armenia's internal agenda.'
Considering the fact that top representatives of the ruling Republican
Party have many times voiced similar statements in recent time, the
version on Sargsyan's demarche could be truthful. The Armenian
authorities have always been in torn between the West and Russia.
Serge Sargsyan didn't invent a bicycle by not going to Bishkek, he
chose a well-known strategy of Armenian top officials.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/41211.html
From: A. Papazian
June 7 2013
Armenia between Brussels and Moscow
7 June 2013 - 10:35am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to `Vestnik Kavkaza'
Traditionally Armenia is a country which actively participates in all
events organized by the CSTO. It has been a member of the organization
since its foundation in 1992. Armenia initiated a series of ideas
which were implemented within cooperation between the CSTO members.
That is why absence of Armenian President Serge Sargsyan at the
informal summit of the CSTO on May 28th in Bishkek caused interest in
Armenia...
Despite explanations of the press service that Serge Sargsyan didn't
take part in the informal summit because it coincided with marking Day
of the First Republic of Armenia, many people considered this step as
certain demarche by the head of the state. President's rejection to
visit Bishkek was associated with the rumors on problems in
Armenian-Russian relations, which as if appeared because of gas
prices' increasing.
The Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia Artur
Bagdasaryan immediately told the mass media that non-participation of
Armenian President in the informal summit of the CSTO couldn't be
considered as demarche. Bagdasaryan stated that Serge Sargsyan has
already stated on his participation in the official CSTO summit in
December 2013.
There are a lot of opinions disapproving statements from Yerevan. The
leader of the opposition party `New Times' Aram Karapetyan says that
the President's decision not to go to Bishkek is a real demarche. He
accuses Sargsyan of a detailed, developed geopolitical concept and
states that the geopolitical position of Srgsyan is based on the
principle `who gives more.' Karapetyan thinks that absence of
President in Bishkek is connected not with his foreign political
approaches, but increasing Russian gas prices. And that is why Yerevan
often speaks about European integration as an alternative today.
These conclusions can be added with the information that Europe
seriously promised 2 billion euro to Yerevan after signing the
Association Agreement. It can be signed at the summit of Eastern
Partnership in Vilnius which will be held on November 28-29, 2013.
However, considering complete unclearness of what demands and what
concessions the West will claim from Armenia , these billions will
hardly improve the country.
None of devoted supporters of European integration in Armenia can
clearly answer a simple question on what Europe which is in the crisis
today can give to Armenia in the future. However, it didn't prevent
the speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ovik Abramyan to
characterize European integration on May 31st at the session of the
PACE permanent commission in Yerevan as `a thoughtful choice of
Armenia, which corresponds to Armenia's internal agenda.'
Considering the fact that top representatives of the ruling Republican
Party have many times voiced similar statements in recent time, the
version on Sargsyan's demarche could be truthful. The Armenian
authorities have always been in torn between the West and Russia.
Serge Sargsyan didn't invent a bicycle by not going to Bishkek, he
chose a well-known strategy of Armenian top officials.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/41211.html
From: A. Papazian