Tweet
ARMENIAN DIASPORA IN USA PLANS ON SOUTH CAUCASUS
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
March 14 2013
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusive to Vestnik Kavkaza
On Tuesday Vladimit Putin met his Armenian colleague. Serge Sargsyan's
official visit to Russia is the first foreign visit of Armenian
President after the elections. There are very few details on the
summit.
Recent events in Armenia have caused close attention to be paid
to the internal political situation in the republic: the leader of
Heritage Raffi Hovannisyan, who was thought to be an outsider of the
election campaign, suddenly won 37% in the presidential elections and
refused admission of Sargsyan's victory. The attention appeared among
administrations of leaders of the USA, the UK, and France. All of them
encouraged Sargsyan to break the status quo over Karabakh and register
the success in the Armenian-Turkish process. The recognition of the
elections' results by the West and Russia means that foreign players
can connect their interests in the region with prudent Serge Sargsyan.
President of the USA Barack Obama told his Armenian colleague in his
congratulatory message that Washington intends to contribute to the
peacemaking process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
American President directly hinted at the necessity "of making a
valuable step toward settlement, which will provide long-term peace
and security." According to him, the USA want to continue working on
the possible normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.
Some aggressive circles in Armenia and the environment of Raffi
Hovannisyan have already characterized Obama's message as a demand "to
leave the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh." The opposition criticized
the State Secretary Kerry for proposing one-sided concessions for
Armenia in the Karabakh settlement because there can be no other
interpretation of the phrase "to change status quo." The opposition is
sure that considering Turkey's demands and Armenia's interests, the
USA expect a change to the status quo from Armenia, i.e. withdrawal
from the territories. This is a price for the US congratulations and
perspective support.
This suggestion is quite possible because the initiative president
of Armenia has many times demonstrated readiness to concessions. The
readiness was shown after the initiation of the Armenian-Turkish
process was based on failed protocols. However, Serge Sargsyan
played his role to the West and it has enabled him to receive dubious
congratulations after very dubious presidential elections.
According to the head of the Armenian Center on National and Strategic
Studies (ACSNI) Manvel Sarkisyan, the "pro-Russian attitude of
Serge Sargsyan and pro-Western attitude of Raffi Hovannisyan are
based on fairytales which were imagined by Armenian politicians who
are far from political analysis; and it has nothing in common with
the current reality." In international politics absolutely other
factors are important. The interests of almost all superpowers are
being implemented in Armenia today, and these interests often do not
contradict each other.
However, the deputy chairman of Heritage Armen Martirosyan doesn't
agree with the expert's view. According to Martirosyan, Hovannisyan
would never yield in ethnic issues, that is why many countries support
Sargsyan. The main reason for this support is the position of the
President on several important foreign political issues. "Sargsyan
accepts the Madrid Principles of the Karabakh settlement and shameful
Armenian-Turkish protocols. Hovannisayn does not. That is why they
congratulate Sargsyan with the victory," Martirosyan is sure.
Recently the US ambassador in Armenia John Heffern said in his
video-blog that the US's goal toward Armenia is shifting Yerevan's
views toward the West because "no country can depend on only one
partner." The most interesting fragment of the ambassador's speech
was the story on his visit of Armenian-populated towns of the USA
in December, where he met representatives of Armenian Diaspora. The
ambassador stated that Armenians from Diaspora "were interesting in
Armenia's problems and were ready to contribute to changes in the
republic." Actually Heffern hinted that the American policy in favor
of Armenian society and diaspora could make the Armenian authorities
- either new or old - take certain steps. The most important in
this situation is a price for American readiness to encourage the
development.
Speaking about the US Armenians, the diplomat presented them as a
guarantor that Armenia would have to pay for American support by
concessions in a strategic issue. It is well-known that Armenian
Diaspora in the US has a tough position on national-strategic problems,
unlike the state policy of Armenia. Hovannisyan, who has come from
California and doesn't recognize Sargsyan's power, is the best provider
of such a policy directed against Russian presence in the region.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/38055.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
March 14 2013
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusive to Vestnik Kavkaza
On Tuesday Vladimit Putin met his Armenian colleague. Serge Sargsyan's
official visit to Russia is the first foreign visit of Armenian
President after the elections. There are very few details on the
summit.
Recent events in Armenia have caused close attention to be paid
to the internal political situation in the republic: the leader of
Heritage Raffi Hovannisyan, who was thought to be an outsider of the
election campaign, suddenly won 37% in the presidential elections and
refused admission of Sargsyan's victory. The attention appeared among
administrations of leaders of the USA, the UK, and France. All of them
encouraged Sargsyan to break the status quo over Karabakh and register
the success in the Armenian-Turkish process. The recognition of the
elections' results by the West and Russia means that foreign players
can connect their interests in the region with prudent Serge Sargsyan.
President of the USA Barack Obama told his Armenian colleague in his
congratulatory message that Washington intends to contribute to the
peacemaking process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
American President directly hinted at the necessity "of making a
valuable step toward settlement, which will provide long-term peace
and security." According to him, the USA want to continue working on
the possible normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.
Some aggressive circles in Armenia and the environment of Raffi
Hovannisyan have already characterized Obama's message as a demand "to
leave the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh." The opposition criticized
the State Secretary Kerry for proposing one-sided concessions for
Armenia in the Karabakh settlement because there can be no other
interpretation of the phrase "to change status quo." The opposition is
sure that considering Turkey's demands and Armenia's interests, the
USA expect a change to the status quo from Armenia, i.e. withdrawal
from the territories. This is a price for the US congratulations and
perspective support.
This suggestion is quite possible because the initiative president
of Armenia has many times demonstrated readiness to concessions. The
readiness was shown after the initiation of the Armenian-Turkish
process was based on failed protocols. However, Serge Sargsyan
played his role to the West and it has enabled him to receive dubious
congratulations after very dubious presidential elections.
According to the head of the Armenian Center on National and Strategic
Studies (ACSNI) Manvel Sarkisyan, the "pro-Russian attitude of
Serge Sargsyan and pro-Western attitude of Raffi Hovannisyan are
based on fairytales which were imagined by Armenian politicians who
are far from political analysis; and it has nothing in common with
the current reality." In international politics absolutely other
factors are important. The interests of almost all superpowers are
being implemented in Armenia today, and these interests often do not
contradict each other.
However, the deputy chairman of Heritage Armen Martirosyan doesn't
agree with the expert's view. According to Martirosyan, Hovannisyan
would never yield in ethnic issues, that is why many countries support
Sargsyan. The main reason for this support is the position of the
President on several important foreign political issues. "Sargsyan
accepts the Madrid Principles of the Karabakh settlement and shameful
Armenian-Turkish protocols. Hovannisayn does not. That is why they
congratulate Sargsyan with the victory," Martirosyan is sure.
Recently the US ambassador in Armenia John Heffern said in his
video-blog that the US's goal toward Armenia is shifting Yerevan's
views toward the West because "no country can depend on only one
partner." The most interesting fragment of the ambassador's speech
was the story on his visit of Armenian-populated towns of the USA
in December, where he met representatives of Armenian Diaspora. The
ambassador stated that Armenians from Diaspora "were interesting in
Armenia's problems and were ready to contribute to changes in the
republic." Actually Heffern hinted that the American policy in favor
of Armenian society and diaspora could make the Armenian authorities
- either new or old - take certain steps. The most important in
this situation is a price for American readiness to encourage the
development.
Speaking about the US Armenians, the diplomat presented them as a
guarantor that Armenia would have to pay for American support by
concessions in a strategic issue. It is well-known that Armenian
Diaspora in the US has a tough position on national-strategic problems,
unlike the state policy of Armenia. Hovannisyan, who has come from
California and doesn't recognize Sargsyan's power, is the best provider
of such a policy directed against Russian presence in the region.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/38055.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress