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ANALYSIS: ARMENIAN RULING PARTY'S 'PRO-RUSSIAN WING' HINTS AT RISKS OF "SPOILED" RELATIONS WITH MOSCOW
ANALYSIS | 25.03.15 | 10:41
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Talking to reporters recently, odious Armenian MP and ruling Republican
Party member Seyran Saroyan hinted that the relations between Russia
and Armenia may be "marred".
Asked to comment on President Serzh Sargsyan's statement that the
supplies of Russian weapons to Azerbaijan may adversely affect the
Armenian-Russian relations, the retired general said: "And what has
changed since he said that? Have the Russians stopped selling weapons?
You cannot put things right by statements only. And now we have
spoiled our relations also with the Russians and so what."
Some analysts believe that there is no consensus within the Republican
Party regarding relations with Russia and that the party's pro-Russian
wing is fairly strong. In informal conversations many Armenian
politicians say that Armenians should stick to the Russians, while
the rest "are not our friends".
However, among the ruling elites there are also supporters of balance
and diversity in relations and it must have been these elites that
for three years "persuaded" Sargsyan to negotiate with the European
Union on the Association Agreement.
Analysts believe that now the influence of the pro-Russian faction in
the Republican Party on Sargsyan is somewhat getting reduced because
Armenia's excessive loyalty to Russia is already leading to negative
results in the economic sphere as well as in the sphere of security.
Tensions at Armenia's borders with Azerbaijan and around
Nagorno-Karabakh have only increased since the country's formal
accession to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union at the beginning
of this year. And, as Sargsyan himself put it, the Armenian soldier
standing at the border is aware that they [Azerbaijani forces] want
to kill him with weapons of Russian make.
After in September 2013 Sargsyan announced in Moscow about Armenia's
joining the Eurasian Economic Union, more obstacles and potholes
began to appear in the Armenian-Russian relations. This is primarily
the question of Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan, which has managed
to debunk the myth of Russia's "brotherhood" among the Armenian public.
The January 12 massacre of a seven-member Armenian family in Gyumri,
of which the soldiers of the 102nd Russian military base is accused,
was a further blow to this relationship.
Russia has refused to transfer the accused, Valery Permyakov, to
Armenian law-enforcement authorities. But so far the ruling party in
Armenia has tried not to "burn bridges" - on March 24 the Armenian
Parliament held a vote on the bill on the transfer of Permyakov to
Armenian justice, but the Republican majority opted out of the vote
and the bill thus failed.
Apparently, the parliamentary majority does not want to scandalize
the situation until April 24, waiting to see if Russian President
Vladimir Putin comes to Armenia on that day that will commemorate the
Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. (In a recent interview with the
Sputnik-Armenia radio station, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan
Volynkin said that President Vladimir Putin will visit Armenia and
that his visit "will raise the level of the event".)
And this is the third obstacle in the Armenian-Russian relations. The
Russian-Turkish ligament that has, in fact, ruled Armenia for the
past 100 years is close to a new milestone. Either Russia, in spite
of its friendship with Turkey, joins the Armenian demands to Turkey,
or it admits that Armenia is not a priority for it, which may be
followed by Yerevan's claims to Moscow.
However, the same experts argue that the Armenian government will
not have the sufficient will and the "pro-Russian faction" in the
Republican Party will win again, especially that it is represented
by generals who openly acknowledge their weakness before Russia.
"The strong always blames the weak," General Saroyan said. But he
added that once the Russian weapons sold to Azerbaijan will be turned
against Russia.
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/61740/armenia_mp_seyran_saroyan_russia_arms_supply_azerb aijan
From: Baghdasarian
ANALYSIS | 25.03.15 | 10:41
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Talking to reporters recently, odious Armenian MP and ruling Republican
Party member Seyran Saroyan hinted that the relations between Russia
and Armenia may be "marred".
Asked to comment on President Serzh Sargsyan's statement that the
supplies of Russian weapons to Azerbaijan may adversely affect the
Armenian-Russian relations, the retired general said: "And what has
changed since he said that? Have the Russians stopped selling weapons?
You cannot put things right by statements only. And now we have
spoiled our relations also with the Russians and so what."
Some analysts believe that there is no consensus within the Republican
Party regarding relations with Russia and that the party's pro-Russian
wing is fairly strong. In informal conversations many Armenian
politicians say that Armenians should stick to the Russians, while
the rest "are not our friends".
However, among the ruling elites there are also supporters of balance
and diversity in relations and it must have been these elites that
for three years "persuaded" Sargsyan to negotiate with the European
Union on the Association Agreement.
Analysts believe that now the influence of the pro-Russian faction in
the Republican Party on Sargsyan is somewhat getting reduced because
Armenia's excessive loyalty to Russia is already leading to negative
results in the economic sphere as well as in the sphere of security.
Tensions at Armenia's borders with Azerbaijan and around
Nagorno-Karabakh have only increased since the country's formal
accession to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union at the beginning
of this year. And, as Sargsyan himself put it, the Armenian soldier
standing at the border is aware that they [Azerbaijani forces] want
to kill him with weapons of Russian make.
After in September 2013 Sargsyan announced in Moscow about Armenia's
joining the Eurasian Economic Union, more obstacles and potholes
began to appear in the Armenian-Russian relations. This is primarily
the question of Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan, which has managed
to debunk the myth of Russia's "brotherhood" among the Armenian public.
The January 12 massacre of a seven-member Armenian family in Gyumri,
of which the soldiers of the 102nd Russian military base is accused,
was a further blow to this relationship.
Russia has refused to transfer the accused, Valery Permyakov, to
Armenian law-enforcement authorities. But so far the ruling party in
Armenia has tried not to "burn bridges" - on March 24 the Armenian
Parliament held a vote on the bill on the transfer of Permyakov to
Armenian justice, but the Republican majority opted out of the vote
and the bill thus failed.
Apparently, the parliamentary majority does not want to scandalize
the situation until April 24, waiting to see if Russian President
Vladimir Putin comes to Armenia on that day that will commemorate the
Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. (In a recent interview with the
Sputnik-Armenia radio station, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan
Volynkin said that President Vladimir Putin will visit Armenia and
that his visit "will raise the level of the event".)
And this is the third obstacle in the Armenian-Russian relations. The
Russian-Turkish ligament that has, in fact, ruled Armenia for the
past 100 years is close to a new milestone. Either Russia, in spite
of its friendship with Turkey, joins the Armenian demands to Turkey,
or it admits that Armenia is not a priority for it, which may be
followed by Yerevan's claims to Moscow.
However, the same experts argue that the Armenian government will
not have the sufficient will and the "pro-Russian faction" in the
Republican Party will win again, especially that it is represented
by generals who openly acknowledge their weakness before Russia.
"The strong always blames the weak," General Saroyan said. But he
added that once the Russian weapons sold to Azerbaijan will be turned
against Russia.
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/61740/armenia_mp_seyran_saroyan_russia_arms_supply_azerb aijan
From: Baghdasarian