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ARMENIA - A FOOTHOLD FOR GEOPOLITICAL INTERESTS?
February 18 2015
Eric Rubin's "turning" interview "The United States gives a great
importance to development of relations with Armenia. Our primary goal
is to ensure economic growth and increased investments in Armenia.
That is what Armenia really needs, and we are not satisfied with
the current level of our bipartite partnership, we would like to
see growth of American investment into Armenia's economy," said the
US State Secretary Assistant for European and Eurasian Affairs Eric
Rubin, yesterday, in his interview to the "Voice of America" radio
station. The US official's statement is quite remarkable in the sense
that it is voiced when Armenia's membership to the Eurasian Economic
Union has been officially launched.
In the conversation with "Aravot", commenting the American diplomat's
messages, Chairman of "Free Democrats" party Khachatur Kokobelyan
said that this interview is a turning point for the relations between
Armenia and the West. "This interview officially speaks of not only
deepening the economic partnership with Armenia, but also military
partnership between Armenia and the US, as well as key terms generating
from Armenia's security components." Khachatur Kokobelyan is sure
that the most important consideration is that the West no longer
considers the fact of Russian military base deployed in Armenia as a
barrier. "All the Western powers, particularly the United States, in
my opinion, clearly vision that the existence of the Russian military
base in Armenia is a situational solution, and neither this nor the
imposed, in my opinion, membership to the EaEU should not be barriers
for the development of our partnership. In partnership with the US is
clear that it will substantially increase Armenia's security component.
In the current day by day changing and developing world, Armenia a day
before needs to realize the practical and substantial relationship,
which will shift from the level of statements to more practical steps.
The dangerous challenges related to Russia-Ukraine confrontation are
enough for Armenia to be strongly consistent for adding its security
element to the West component," said Khachatur Kokobelyan, highly
signifying the references made by the US State Department official.
"These are strongly necessary preconditions for Armenia to be able
to correctly build its military-political and economic ties with the
Western powers, including pertaining to the investments."
In this context, Khachatur Kokobelyan considers the message of
the newly appointed US Ambassador to Armenia Richard M. Mills,
which clearly indicated the development of economic cooperation with
Armenia, the issue of adding the security component, which is primary
for us, and the US active participation in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and resolution thereof. So far, European officials were also talking
about future relations with Armenia with reservations, but yesterday,
the head of the EU delegation to Armenia Traian Hristea also announced,
"We (the EU - N.G.) will not leave from here and we will continue
supporting Armenia's modernization."
Given the US and the EU "combat" sentiments, whether there is
no danger that Armenia may become a foothold for the US-EU-Russia
interests, Khachatur Kokobelyan is sure that it cannot. "If you closely
follow these statements, they clearly state that we should consider
such developments of relations that are possible at the level of
compatibility. I think that our Western partners, even though often
not speaking about it loud, simply understood and realized that it
was a choice imposed to Armenia. In the development of relationships,
it is very important not to become a center for confrontation. Armenia
does not have such resource for resistance given the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, the weak state of our economy and the geopolitical position,
in which Armenia is," said our interlocutor. No matter how much
imposed, however, it is a fact that Armenia today is a member of the
Eurasian Economic Union. On the other hand, there are real potentials
to develop military and political relations with the US and the
EU, too.
We asked Khachatur Kokobelyan whether Armenia's current government
has so much courage. "The authorities of Armenia are obliged to
demonstrate this courage, because it directly generates from the
benefit of Armenian state and the security and economic development of
every citizen living in Armenia. It is the only window today, which
provides a chance to add Armenia's security component and ensuring
development. Hence, it should be not a desire by our state, but a
required process," said our interlocutor. Comparing the American
and European officials' statements, Chairman of "Free Democrats"
party comes to the conclusion that "it is a systematic policy towards
Armenia rather than good wishes."
Nelly GRIGORYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2015/02/18/168898/
February 18 2015
Eric Rubin's "turning" interview "The United States gives a great
importance to development of relations with Armenia. Our primary goal
is to ensure economic growth and increased investments in Armenia.
That is what Armenia really needs, and we are not satisfied with
the current level of our bipartite partnership, we would like to
see growth of American investment into Armenia's economy," said the
US State Secretary Assistant for European and Eurasian Affairs Eric
Rubin, yesterday, in his interview to the "Voice of America" radio
station. The US official's statement is quite remarkable in the sense
that it is voiced when Armenia's membership to the Eurasian Economic
Union has been officially launched.
In the conversation with "Aravot", commenting the American diplomat's
messages, Chairman of "Free Democrats" party Khachatur Kokobelyan
said that this interview is a turning point for the relations between
Armenia and the West. "This interview officially speaks of not only
deepening the economic partnership with Armenia, but also military
partnership between Armenia and the US, as well as key terms generating
from Armenia's security components." Khachatur Kokobelyan is sure
that the most important consideration is that the West no longer
considers the fact of Russian military base deployed in Armenia as a
barrier. "All the Western powers, particularly the United States, in
my opinion, clearly vision that the existence of the Russian military
base in Armenia is a situational solution, and neither this nor the
imposed, in my opinion, membership to the EaEU should not be barriers
for the development of our partnership. In partnership with the US is
clear that it will substantially increase Armenia's security component.
In the current day by day changing and developing world, Armenia a day
before needs to realize the practical and substantial relationship,
which will shift from the level of statements to more practical steps.
The dangerous challenges related to Russia-Ukraine confrontation are
enough for Armenia to be strongly consistent for adding its security
element to the West component," said Khachatur Kokobelyan, highly
signifying the references made by the US State Department official.
"These are strongly necessary preconditions for Armenia to be able
to correctly build its military-political and economic ties with the
Western powers, including pertaining to the investments."
In this context, Khachatur Kokobelyan considers the message of
the newly appointed US Ambassador to Armenia Richard M. Mills,
which clearly indicated the development of economic cooperation with
Armenia, the issue of adding the security component, which is primary
for us, and the US active participation in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and resolution thereof. So far, European officials were also talking
about future relations with Armenia with reservations, but yesterday,
the head of the EU delegation to Armenia Traian Hristea also announced,
"We (the EU - N.G.) will not leave from here and we will continue
supporting Armenia's modernization."
Given the US and the EU "combat" sentiments, whether there is
no danger that Armenia may become a foothold for the US-EU-Russia
interests, Khachatur Kokobelyan is sure that it cannot. "If you closely
follow these statements, they clearly state that we should consider
such developments of relations that are possible at the level of
compatibility. I think that our Western partners, even though often
not speaking about it loud, simply understood and realized that it
was a choice imposed to Armenia. In the development of relationships,
it is very important not to become a center for confrontation. Armenia
does not have such resource for resistance given the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, the weak state of our economy and the geopolitical position,
in which Armenia is," said our interlocutor. No matter how much
imposed, however, it is a fact that Armenia today is a member of the
Eurasian Economic Union. On the other hand, there are real potentials
to develop military and political relations with the US and the
EU, too.
We asked Khachatur Kokobelyan whether Armenia's current government
has so much courage. "The authorities of Armenia are obliged to
demonstrate this courage, because it directly generates from the
benefit of Armenian state and the security and economic development of
every citizen living in Armenia. It is the only window today, which
provides a chance to add Armenia's security component and ensuring
development. Hence, it should be not a desire by our state, but a
required process," said our interlocutor. Comparing the American
and European officials' statements, Chairman of "Free Democrats"
party comes to the conclusion that "it is a systematic policy towards
Armenia rather than good wishes."
Nelly GRIGORYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2015/02/18/168898/