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`Should Tigran Sargsyan be a general, he cannot raise Armenia's rating
in the United States.' Yervand Bozoyan
June 28 2014
Aravot.am asked the political scientist, Yervand Bozoyan, about what
we will achieve by pro-western views possessing former Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan's appointment as an Ambassador of Armenia to the
United States, and whether it is possible to take new steps towards
signing of the EU Association Agreement. Yervand Bozoyan responded
that Tigran Sargsyan's appointment an Ambassador was unusual in
several components. `First of all, I do not think that Tigran Sargsyan
was a pro-western figure, because there is no single sign of why he
was a pro-western figure. It's answer is not clear to me, I do not
know what the Armenian society may think of this issue. Secondly, what
EU Association Agreements we are talking about, when Armenian a few
times has officially announced that it is joining the CU and the
Eurasian Economic Union. Being a pro-western, to put it mildly, is not
an axiom for me. I think that the vast majority of public politicians
in Armenia have a very weak perception of the values system and world
outlook, and these people can be conventionally considered pro-Western
or pro-Russian. They are rather pro-selfish and they proceed by their
interests. Basically, they do not have the philosophical basis which,
let' say, have in Ukraine or Georgia. In this sense, Armenia's
pro-Western or pro-Russian politicians can be accepted strictly
conditional. Specifically, Tigran Sargsyan Minister has not been
displayed in any form even in the public and officially, at least in
words that he is a pro-Western. During his activities, he has a lot of
times made contradictory statements towards Russia and in pro-Western
direction. And why he is a pro-Western, I cannot imagine.' Pertaining
to the EU integration steps, Yervand Bozoyan said, `Armenia has
already officially announced about its integration to the Eurasian
Economic Union. In this sense, Armenian proceeds in the European
direction as, let's say, Kazakhstan or Belarus.' According to Yervand
Bozoyan, the `and-and' policy existed in the 90ēs and 2000ēs, when
Armenia was trying to maneuver, and lead a balanced policy as much as
it is could succeed. `Given the objective geopolitical situation,
Armenia had key security relationships with Russia. At the same time,
it was trying to complement the relations with Russia by the western
vector to be able to ensure financial flows on preferential terms. At
some point, Armenia was successful in it the then. From the very
beginning of this president's administration, his moves were extremely
instable, at least at the level of the visibility. It ended in the
fact that since 2008-2009, he started to be active in close relations
with the Europeans. Even, in some sense, we were not considering
Russians, which were followed by tough steps by Russians towards
Armenia, the core of which was the fact that on his visit to Baku last
year on August, the President of the Russian Federation signed an
agreement of more than 4 billion dollar on selling of arms and
ammunition, as well as establishment of a military-industrial complex
in Azerbaijan. Russia signed an agreement of about 700 million dollars
on selling of ammunition. All of this was a clear message to Serzh
Sargsyan that if he tries to ignore the Russian direction, then very
sad days are expected to Karabakh and Armenia. In fact, the words that
said by Shavarsh Kocharyan that as it is a business for Russia to sell
weapons to Azerbaijan, so as it is a business for Armenia to be in
relationship with the Europeans, this `audacity' ended on September 3,
when Armenia's policy officially became unilateral.' To our question
of given that Tigran Sargsyan's name is touched upon in offshore
scandal and corruption transactions, how he will be successful to keep
the rating of Armenia high in the international arena, Yervand Bozoyan
responded, `Armenia's rating is already so low that no one can raise
it. Everyone understands it. As long as these authorities exist, no
one trusts Armenia anymore, because these people already confirmed
that their words do not turn into an action. Now, neither Russians
respect Armenia, because they have received from Armenia what they
already have, nor the Europeans because they have understood that
these authorities have cheated them. The No. 1 and the most
influential person in Armenia is the president as long as he rules,
whoever is appointed to a position, he will have a conditional
confidence anywhere, be in Russia or in the West. In this sense,
whether Tigran Sargsyan will be a hero of the offshore scandal, or a
general, there will be no significant difference.'
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2014/06/28/165835/
From: A. Papazian
in the United States.' Yervand Bozoyan
June 28 2014
Aravot.am asked the political scientist, Yervand Bozoyan, about what
we will achieve by pro-western views possessing former Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan's appointment as an Ambassador of Armenia to the
United States, and whether it is possible to take new steps towards
signing of the EU Association Agreement. Yervand Bozoyan responded
that Tigran Sargsyan's appointment an Ambassador was unusual in
several components. `First of all, I do not think that Tigran Sargsyan
was a pro-western figure, because there is no single sign of why he
was a pro-western figure. It's answer is not clear to me, I do not
know what the Armenian society may think of this issue. Secondly, what
EU Association Agreements we are talking about, when Armenian a few
times has officially announced that it is joining the CU and the
Eurasian Economic Union. Being a pro-western, to put it mildly, is not
an axiom for me. I think that the vast majority of public politicians
in Armenia have a very weak perception of the values system and world
outlook, and these people can be conventionally considered pro-Western
or pro-Russian. They are rather pro-selfish and they proceed by their
interests. Basically, they do not have the philosophical basis which,
let' say, have in Ukraine or Georgia. In this sense, Armenia's
pro-Western or pro-Russian politicians can be accepted strictly
conditional. Specifically, Tigran Sargsyan Minister has not been
displayed in any form even in the public and officially, at least in
words that he is a pro-Western. During his activities, he has a lot of
times made contradictory statements towards Russia and in pro-Western
direction. And why he is a pro-Western, I cannot imagine.' Pertaining
to the EU integration steps, Yervand Bozoyan said, `Armenia has
already officially announced about its integration to the Eurasian
Economic Union. In this sense, Armenian proceeds in the European
direction as, let's say, Kazakhstan or Belarus.' According to Yervand
Bozoyan, the `and-and' policy existed in the 90ēs and 2000ēs, when
Armenia was trying to maneuver, and lead a balanced policy as much as
it is could succeed. `Given the objective geopolitical situation,
Armenia had key security relationships with Russia. At the same time,
it was trying to complement the relations with Russia by the western
vector to be able to ensure financial flows on preferential terms. At
some point, Armenia was successful in it the then. From the very
beginning of this president's administration, his moves were extremely
instable, at least at the level of the visibility. It ended in the
fact that since 2008-2009, he started to be active in close relations
with the Europeans. Even, in some sense, we were not considering
Russians, which were followed by tough steps by Russians towards
Armenia, the core of which was the fact that on his visit to Baku last
year on August, the President of the Russian Federation signed an
agreement of more than 4 billion dollar on selling of arms and
ammunition, as well as establishment of a military-industrial complex
in Azerbaijan. Russia signed an agreement of about 700 million dollars
on selling of ammunition. All of this was a clear message to Serzh
Sargsyan that if he tries to ignore the Russian direction, then very
sad days are expected to Karabakh and Armenia. In fact, the words that
said by Shavarsh Kocharyan that as it is a business for Russia to sell
weapons to Azerbaijan, so as it is a business for Armenia to be in
relationship with the Europeans, this `audacity' ended on September 3,
when Armenia's policy officially became unilateral.' To our question
of given that Tigran Sargsyan's name is touched upon in offshore
scandal and corruption transactions, how he will be successful to keep
the rating of Armenia high in the international arena, Yervand Bozoyan
responded, `Armenia's rating is already so low that no one can raise
it. Everyone understands it. As long as these authorities exist, no
one trusts Armenia anymore, because these people already confirmed
that their words do not turn into an action. Now, neither Russians
respect Armenia, because they have received from Armenia what they
already have, nor the Europeans because they have understood that
these authorities have cheated them. The No. 1 and the most
influential person in Armenia is the president as long as he rules,
whoever is appointed to a position, he will have a conditional
confidence anywhere, be in Russia or in the West. In this sense,
whether Tigran Sargsyan will be a hero of the offshore scandal, or a
general, there will be no significant difference.'
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2014/06/28/165835/
From: A. Papazian