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US PRESSURE ON ARMENIA TO BECOME ALLY AGAINST RUSSIA FAILS
The Voice of Russia
March 28 2014
The US policy on Armenia has resulted in a break-up of Armenia's once
powerful light industry, in lopsided reforms and the ensuing economic
and social problems. According to experts, the US long-term plans to
make Armenia distance itself from Russia are hardly feasible today,
just as they were unfeasible 20 years ago. Americans have to take
into account the historical and political realities of the region.
The US has never cherished illusions about the post-Soviet Armenia.
Washington has conversely been and will remain suspicious of Yerevan,
for Armenia is Russia's strategic partner, a member state of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization and has friendly relations with
Iran despite the geographical and geopolitical realities. And yet, the
US seeks to play an active role in the Trans-Caucasus. The US has for
example tried to ensure that Armenia and Turkey will open their border,
one that's been closed since 1993 at the insistence of Ankara. The US
thus sought to bolster its ally Turkey's position in the region. But
the diplomatic effort of 2010 yielded no specific result. The US plan
failed. This is what Director of the Institute for Caucasus Studies,
political analyst Alexander Iskandaryan, says about it in a comment.
"The US has clearly miscalculated. The moment the Armenian-Turkish
factor became a factor in Turkey's home policy, the US pressure proved
insufficient. There is a world of a difference between pressurizing
Turkey in Zurich and doing the same thing in Ankara. Besides, the US
badly needs Turkey; it needs the crazy house that's emerged in the
Middle East in recent years. Ankara is perfectly aware of that. So, it
was the US miscalculation and also the drastically changed situation,
I mean the Arab Spring, etc. In short, the US efforts failed".
Yet another factor in the US attempted boosting of influence on Armenia
over the past 20 years have been all sorts of grant programmes, the
loan financing of government and central bank programmes, and also
support for numerous nongovernmental public organizations that have
initiated most protest actions in Armenia.
According to experts and analysts, the US is thus trying to create
financial dependence and pro-western sentiment of the local elite. But
according to an Armenian political analyst and spin doctor Vigen
Akopyan, the Americans failed to ensure an alternative to Russia in
such important areas as military and economic security.
"Security is of paramount importance to Armenia. If Armenia has strong
armed forces, it will be able to settle the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh,
and will also manage to settle economic problems. Transfers are
also very important. A transfer is Armenia's second budget. Some 2.5
billion dollars are transferred to Armenia officially every year.
Russia accounts for some 86% of that amount. Americans have failed
to offer alternatives to these important factors".
Experts also point out that the US has never tried to stage a coup
in Armenia, like the one in Georgia, because of Armenia's obvious
orientation towards Russia. An increasingly great number of experts
agree that to weaken Russia's influence on the region will soon
become next to impossible, given Armenia's forthcoming joining of
the Customs Union.
http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_03_28/US-pressure-on-Armenia-to-become-ally-against-Russia-fails-0367/
The Voice of Russia
March 28 2014
The US policy on Armenia has resulted in a break-up of Armenia's once
powerful light industry, in lopsided reforms and the ensuing economic
and social problems. According to experts, the US long-term plans to
make Armenia distance itself from Russia are hardly feasible today,
just as they were unfeasible 20 years ago. Americans have to take
into account the historical and political realities of the region.
The US has never cherished illusions about the post-Soviet Armenia.
Washington has conversely been and will remain suspicious of Yerevan,
for Armenia is Russia's strategic partner, a member state of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization and has friendly relations with
Iran despite the geographical and geopolitical realities. And yet, the
US seeks to play an active role in the Trans-Caucasus. The US has for
example tried to ensure that Armenia and Turkey will open their border,
one that's been closed since 1993 at the insistence of Ankara. The US
thus sought to bolster its ally Turkey's position in the region. But
the diplomatic effort of 2010 yielded no specific result. The US plan
failed. This is what Director of the Institute for Caucasus Studies,
political analyst Alexander Iskandaryan, says about it in a comment.
"The US has clearly miscalculated. The moment the Armenian-Turkish
factor became a factor in Turkey's home policy, the US pressure proved
insufficient. There is a world of a difference between pressurizing
Turkey in Zurich and doing the same thing in Ankara. Besides, the US
badly needs Turkey; it needs the crazy house that's emerged in the
Middle East in recent years. Ankara is perfectly aware of that. So, it
was the US miscalculation and also the drastically changed situation,
I mean the Arab Spring, etc. In short, the US efforts failed".
Yet another factor in the US attempted boosting of influence on Armenia
over the past 20 years have been all sorts of grant programmes, the
loan financing of government and central bank programmes, and also
support for numerous nongovernmental public organizations that have
initiated most protest actions in Armenia.
According to experts and analysts, the US is thus trying to create
financial dependence and pro-western sentiment of the local elite. But
according to an Armenian political analyst and spin doctor Vigen
Akopyan, the Americans failed to ensure an alternative to Russia in
such important areas as military and economic security.
"Security is of paramount importance to Armenia. If Armenia has strong
armed forces, it will be able to settle the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh,
and will also manage to settle economic problems. Transfers are
also very important. A transfer is Armenia's second budget. Some 2.5
billion dollars are transferred to Armenia officially every year.
Russia accounts for some 86% of that amount. Americans have failed
to offer alternatives to these important factors".
Experts also point out that the US has never tried to stage a coup
in Armenia, like the one in Georgia, because of Armenia's obvious
orientation towards Russia. An increasingly great number of experts
agree that to weaken Russia's influence on the region will soon
become next to impossible, given Armenia's forthcoming joining of
the Customs Union.
http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_03_28/US-pressure-on-Armenia-to-become-ally-against-Russia-fails-0367/