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Analyst: Armenians Prefer Russia Over EU

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  • Analyst: Armenians Prefer Russia Over EU

    ANALYST: ARMENIANS PREFER RUSSIA OVER EU

    SOCIETY | 05.09.13 | 16:22

    Photolure

    By Gohar Abrahamyan
    ArmeniaNow reporter

    A well-known sociologist of Armenia concludes that if a referendum were
    held on joining the Customs Union (as announced by President Serzh
    Sargsyan Tuesday), the majority of citizens would have definitely
    voted for it, because, he says, decades of studies and surveys show
    that the people of Armenia support deepening relations with Russia.

    Director of Sociometer Sociological Center Aharon Adibekyan told the
    press on Thursday that the center has been carrying out studies since
    the 1990s to establish which country or political union Armenia should
    cooperate with and Russia has always held the top position on the list.

    "It has never dropped below 40 percent, never exceeded 55 percent. The
    European Union always came second, followed by Iran and the United
    States. In terms of remittances, last year out of the total $1.7
    billion $1.47 billion came from Russia, which makes 85.6 percent.

    Every sixth or seventh family lives off the money sent from Russia,"
    he says, adding that between 1988 and 2011, 34 percent of general
    $16.5 billion investment in Armenia was by Russia, which makes 42.5
    percent of direct investment, while the share of those 12 countries
    of the European Union which made tangible investment in Armenia is
    only 20 percent in general and 25 percent in direct investments. The
    USA's share is 3 percent.

    "If the European Union wants to see Armenia as its friend, it has to
    found a business with us, so that we can understand that partnership,
    but the issue remains in the political domain. They say come and
    befriend us, then we will try to help you, meanwhile Russia, as our
    ally historically, has been fulfilling that mission," says Adibekyan,
    adding that there are 1.5 million Armenians officially residing
    in Russia and it is only natural that President Vladimir Putin is
    interested in attracting those votes to support him.

    However, Adibekyan says that Russia, as opposed to Europe, is a
    technologically less developed country, if we put aside the strategic
    and space fields, hence cooperating with it will make Armenia lag
    behind technologically and will only be able to sell its products
    in Russia.

    According to him, speaking in chess terminology, this is a mutual
    political "zugzwang", meaning when both parties take steps because
    the situation on the game board is such that other steps might lead
    to bitter defeat.

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