Russian-Chinese relations have been at a historic high and Moscow's and Beijing's cooperative future looks even better. Russia's economic sectors are developing and diversifying. Russia enjoys
sovereignty over the largest landmass in the world. Russia contains immense natural wealth. Russia
has vast tracts of virgin arable land. Russia's central bank is on its way to
becoming free of Western infestation. Russian news media - newspaper, radio and
television - are on their way to becoming free of Western
infestations. Russia has one of the fastest growing middle classes in
the world. Russia's Christian Orthodox church continues to grow in power
and influence. Russian society continues to remain conservative and
patriotic. Russia continues to have one of the best educated populations
in the world. Russia's continues to be one of the most self-sufficient (i.e. independent)
nations on earth. Russia's technology sector is growing once more. Russia is a major gas and oil producer. Russia is a major energy provider to Europe and China. Russia is one of the world's major arms producers and arms providers. Russia wields one of the most potent military force in the world. Russia is a massive nuclear power.
We need to look at the Western sanctions imposed on Russia - as well as the Western instigated crisis in Ukraine - from within the above context for they have nothing to do with the democratic wishes of the Ukrainian sheeple. The Western effort against Moscow is a desperate measure to undermine Russia's rise as an independent global power. The Western effort against Russia is a desperate measure to stop the formation of any competitive Russian-led economic/political union for regional countries. Simply put: The Western effort is a desperate measure to stop the creation of a global counterweight to the Anglo-American-Zionist alliance. Westerners are already seeing the writing on the wall -
Can China and Russia Squeeze Washington Out of Eurasia? http://orientalreview.org/2014/10/10/can-china-and-russia-squeeze-washington-out-of-eurasia/
Russia's Eurasian Union: Part of a Master Plan: http://nationalinterest.org/feature/russias-eurasian-union-part-master-plan-10619?page=show
Anti-West Alliance Forming in the East: http://www.dw.de/anti-western-alliance-in-asia/a-17914677
Why Ukraine, Georgia And Moldova Should Choose The EU Over Putin's Eurasian Union, In Four Charts: http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/10/13/why-ukraine-georgia-and-moldova-should-choose-the-eu-over-putins-eurasian-union-in-four-charts/
Armenia's membership in EEU will further undermine regional security: http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Armenia-s-membership-in-EEU-will-further-undermine-regional-security_7684-CHMTU1NzY4NC81
Time for a new world order? http://rt.com/op-edge/201563-time-new-world-order/
George Soros: "Wake up Europe": http://www.businessinsider.com/george-soros-delivers-warning-to-europe-2014-10#ixzz3GycdhPHv
Predictably, the sanctions that the Anglo-American-Jewish global cartel has placed against the Russian Federation is
having the exact opposite effect they were seeking. The sanctions are
accelerating the inevitable by forcing Russians to become even more
self-reliant than they have been and seek even closer relations with
emerging economies around the world.
The sanctions have also helped in fomenting a drastic rise in Russian
nationalism as well as spawning hatred of the political West in ways the
Kremlin could not ever dream of doing. The sanctions have forced Russian to seek true independence, even in cyberspace. Russia
may yet suffer some short-term economic pain during its transition from the
1990s era derived economic/financial model - when Western powers imposed their
system on a nation suffering from post-Soviet chaos - to a more organic, homegrown
model based on the sound principles of nationalism and socialism. But
the temporary pain is something Russia must endure for it will prove
worth it in the end.
To ultimately free itself of financial and thus political bondage and servitude - and realize its great potential in the 21th century - Moscow has to cut its umbilical cord (i.e. dependency) with the Western world. In my opinion, the sanctions will prove immensely beneficial to Russia's economic, financial and political health in the long run. The sanctions will also go a long way to helping in the formation of a multipolar political world. Therefore, take everything you have been hearing from officials, political analysts and economic experts in the Western world - as well as Armenia's political opposition - and discard them in the garbage bin. Despite their sanctions, despite their manipulation of oil prices to punish Moscow, the Russian Bear will not bow to Western pressure. The Russian nation will weather the current crisis and come out stronger than before.
What Westerners suffering from imperial hubris such as the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal fail to understand is that the sanctions have started a process that will eventually end up undermining Western power. Western aggression in places such as Libya, Syria and Ukraine may ostensibly suggest Western prowess at first glance but it in reality it is an accurate indicator that the Western political order is desperate and in a panic. They are essentially out on a killing spree to ensure their survival in a rapidly changing world.
There was a time when the US Dollar was backed by gold and humanity (including Soviet peoples) looked up to the Western world. Today, the US Dollar is backed by armed interventions around the world and the global masses look at the West with fear and disdain. There was a time when the Western world was the world's sole industrial power. Today, the Western world lives by killing (i.e. creating wars around the world) and by imposing itself as the middleman in global trade. Today, the Western world is nothing but a lavish house-of-cards. One well placed strike will bring down the entire system. Even some of the top financial gurus of the Western world, Jim Rogers and George Soros, are beginning to recognize that the end of the road is near. The imperial hubris of the Western global order will eventually make it collapse under its massive weight. A new, multipolar world is slowly but surely emerging.
In the opinion of many, including myself, the future - if there is one, after all this mess is over - will belong to Eurasia.
The twenty-first century promises to be a Eurasian century. Baring any unforeseen calamity to hit Moscow, I firmly believe that Russia will be in the driver's seat - politically, militarily and economically - within the twenty-first century. My humble wish therefore is to see Armenia at the very least in its passenger seat. I am very glad to say my wish for Armenia is slowly turning into a reality.
The long road to comprehensive security
A little over one year ago Armenian President Sargsyan unexpectedly announced Armenia's willingness to join the Russian-led Eurasian Union. After several years of misleading the West by giving Western officials lip service about European integration, Yerevan had suddenly and quite unexpectedly decided to stop its flirtations with the Western world and seek a future with the East. The Yerevan's announcement to join the Eurasian Union, however, was met by some technical delays - Yerevan convincing Armenians that Russia was Armenia's only choice, Moscow convincing Astana and Minsk that the dispute over Artsakh will not be a problem for the evolving economic pact. Finally, one year later, on October 10, 2014 the green-light was given from Moscow. Armenia is now set to become a founding member in the Eurasian Union in 2015.
ԵՏՄ պայմանագիրը նետվելու է պատմության աղբանոցը: http://www.preparliament.com/քաղաքական-գործակալներն-ամբողջովին-բ/
Yekaterina Poghosyan: http://iwpr.net/report-news/armenias-eurasian-deal-sell-out-or-fair-trade
Paruyr Hayrikian: http://en.aravot.am/2014/09/29/167095/
Paruyr Hayrikyan's activists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHof4-2cKy4
Hranush Kharatyan: http://news.am/eng/news/232795.html
Richard Giragosian:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMm5YFKIJqo
Ara Papyan: http://en.aravot.am/2014/10/13/167298/
The
work listed above is your typical, Western style gobbeldy-gook meant to
impress the self-destructive peasantry so eager to burn down their
village to
save it from imaginary monsters. Which leads to the question:
Are the organizations and individuals listed above utterly stupid or
are they consciously working to advance Western
interests in Armenia? Regardless of what they are and what motivation
they have for doing what they do, the end result of their work is the
same: To play with Armenia's very existence. Regardless of what's at
work, be it their political illiteracy, massive egos or treacherous
pursuits, their handiwork is highly toxic to the Armenian state. God
forbid these people
ever gain power in Yerevan. After seeing what Western powers have done in places like
Serbia, Venezuela, Greece, Cyprus, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Argentina, Syria and Ukraine, I can’t
believe we still have people amongst us promoting Western agendas for Armenia.
It
has nevertheless been a long and dark road for Armenia. But I can now finally see
light in the distance. After over two decades of financial servitude,
constant threats of war, economic stagnation, cultural decay and attempts at color
revolutions - essentially brought upon as a result of Armenia being stuck
in the middle of a geopolitical chess game being played between Moscow
and the West - President Sargsyan's decision to enter the Eurasian Union
has become the single most important and farsighted political
decision Yerevan has made since Armenia's independence from the Soviet
Union in 1991. After over two decades of economic isolation and
political instability as a result of a Western agenda to undermine Russian and Iranian power in the region - and the blockade
of Armenia by a major NATO power - Armenia's membership in the
Russian-led economic pact stands poised to solve many of Armenia's many
problems, many of which as we know are existential in nature.
A brief look at what Armenia has joined and the potential opportunities it will face:
The rising economic pact known as the Eurasian Union (with its current three members) is made up of over 170 million people, 7.7 million square miles of territory (the single largest political landmass in the world) and has a combined GDP of nearly 4 trillion US Dollars. The Russian Federation, in particular, is home to the largest natural wealth found anywhere on the planet. Despite what mainstream Western observers are trying to tell us, the Eurasian Union is poised to grow and may even one day include the top two most populous nations on earth, India and China. Armenia's strategic southern neighbor Iran is also naturally interested in joining. With regards to Iran: In my opinion, it has been Armenia's non-Western orientation that has kept relations between Yerevan and Tehran very warm, mutually beneficial and potentially very fruitful.
Nevertheless, the emerging Eurasian Union should also be looked at in the
context of two other emerging, non-Western economic/political pacts -
the SCO and BRICS. Similarly, Armenia's ascension to the Eurasian Union should also be looked at as a potential gateway to cooperation with such multinational bodies.
Looking at the Eurasian Union against the backdrop of the SCO, here is what we get: The rising East (the Eurasian Union and the SCO, with members like Russia, China and India) would control over 20 percent of the world's oil, over half of all global gas reserves and immeasurably immense amounts of natural resources such as precious metals, precious gems, rare earths, uranium, fresh water, lumber, etc. Moreover, such an economic bloc would represent about half of the world's total population and almost half the world's total GDP. All this within a vast territory that has only now begun to develop and is thus rife with all kinds of business opportunities. Add to this equation additional resources via BRICS nations and the potential becomes monumental - and the reason behind the Western military rampage across the world in recent years very clear.
Although Armenia's Western-led political opposition is essentially concerned about the cost of toilet paper
temporarily rising in Armenia as a result of joining the Eurasian Union, those of
us who are genuinely concerned about Armenia and have a good understanding of history and
international relations, understand that Yerevan desperately needed to be part of a vast and emerging
economic
market led by a powerful nation that traditionally views Armenia as a geostrategic asset. Armenia needed to be part of an entity that has easy access to
vast amounts of natural resources. Armenia
needed to be part of a culturally compatible group of nations where
Western style Social Engineering does not take place. Armenia
needed to be part of a large, merging market where its products
are best
recognized. Armenia needs to be within the
Russian orbit. Ultimately: Former Soviet territory is where the brand name Armenia is best recognized and Armenian products best appreciated -
Russians make up 40% of tourists in Armenia: http://news.am/eng/news/223811.html
Armenia Wins ‘Discovery of the Year’ Award from National Geographic Russia: http://asbarez.com/116116/armenia
Russia Encourages More Food Imports from Armenia: http://asbarez.com/126175/russia-encourages-more-food-imports-
Armenia can be the Eurasian Union's Scientific Center: http://news.am/eng/news/235113.html
Over 130 companies to be presented at EXPO-RUSSIA ARMENIA 2014: http://arka.am/en/news/economy
Tourism industry executives from Armenia and Russia’s St. Petersburg meet in Yerevan: http://arka.am/en/news/economy/tourism_industry_executives_from_armenia_and_russia_s_st_petersburg_meet
Dmitry Medvedev Tours in Armenian Pavilions of “Golden Autumn 2014” Tasting Cheese and Cognac: http://armenpress.am/eng/news
АРМЯНСКОЕ НАГОРЬЕ 12 ТЫСЯЧ ЛЕТ НАЗАД: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E33-Ev_k1Mw
РАЗВЕДЧИКИ 102-ОЙ РОССИЙСКОЙ БАЗЫ В АРМЕНИИ СОВЕРШЕНСТВУЮТ СВОЕ МАСТЕРСТВО: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwsT7PZ4sYE
Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, Armenian
businessmen know former Soviet territory very well. Armenian
businessmen are thus best suited to operate within former Soviet
territory, where many economic sectors are not yet fully developed and
spoken for (i.e. monopolized) as they are in the West.
There is yet another, if I may - biopolitical - factor we need to take into account with regards to Armenian businessmen. Our nation's many sharks (i.e. Armenia's cutthroat businessmen, monopolists, mafia, oligarchs, or whatever else we may choose to call them) have been made to swim in a little, understocked pond for the past twenty-five years. Let's recognize for once that Armenia's sharks cannot be tamed for their cunning and voracious appetites (i.e. business acumen) are in fact a reflection of Armenian folk culture and genetic traits. When our sharks apply their centuries-honed traits in foreign lands, we Armenians are proud of them. When they apply their traits in Armenia, it's, as we have seen past twenty-five years, a very different story. What I am trying to convey to the reader here is that our sharks, that have until recently been forced to swim in a little pond with little sustenance for them, need a vast, unrestricted, bountiful and familiar ocean to comfortably operate in - and in doing so leave the smaller fish, the rest of us, in the pond some breathing room.
Culturally, genetically and geographically, Armenia is a Eurasian nation. Armenia's rightful place, its natural place is within the Eurasian Union. Moscow's Eurasian Union holds the potential to be the most effective remedy to many of Armenia's most fundamental problems.
To
address one of the most common objections to the Eurasian Union:
Armenia not having common borders with the economic pact in question is a
temporary issue, and one that is merely technical in nature. Besides,
did Armenia have borders with the EU? What's more, don't believe the hype: Georgia will not enter NATO or the EU and Baku is a hostage to
Moscow. Both belligerents will eventually dance to the music coming out of the halls of the Kremlin. And, sooner or later, in some way or another, there will be a direct rail link between Armenia and Russia through Georgia. Sooner than later, Tbilisi
and Baku will be either absorbed fully into the Eurasian Union or simply made
to cooperate with it. There is also the possibility, albeit remote, that
Armenia will have common borders with Russia if a major war breaks out
in the south Caucasus. Nevertheless, there will eventually be a free
flow of trade between all Eurasian Union member states. For Armenia, for the
time being, airfreight will have to do.
And thus a historic opportunity is upon us. For the first time in well over one thousand years Armenia stands poised to become a major political power. Let us therefore put aside our cultural biases, diasporan mentalities, Cold War phobias and Western fetishes and let's collectively take advantage of this opportunity if only for Armenia's sake. To do so, however, we must first stop our senseless pursuits of Western fairytales. Washington's lemmings throughout Armenian society have had us chasing our tails with utter nonsense such as democracy, civil society, human rights, free speech, etc. History has shown us that these things gradually evolve after a nation becomes economically established and politically stable. While a nation is still developing and embattled, pursuit of these things are distractions keeping Armenians from pursuing more important things that truly matter in nation-building. In the big picture, whether they realize it or not, Washington's lemmings throughout our society have had us concentrating on every single growing pain in Armenia in order to blind us to the big, geopolitical picture Armenia faces in the south Caucasus.
Yes, lawlessness in Armenia needs to be fought against. Yes, injustice in Armenia needs to be fought against. This fight, however, needs to be rational, homegrown and most im;ortantly, free of Western meddling. More importantly, we need to recognize that Armenia's main problem today is not "oligarchs", "injustice", "corruption" or "depopulation", it's the region's geopolitical climate. Armenia has been economically hurting primarily due to the tug-of-war over the region between Moscow and the West; the constant threat of wars in the south Caucasus; and the twenty year old, double economic blockade against Armenia. Speaking of living standards, justice and corruption: Think for a moment. How would Westerners have fared had they been made to live in the south Caucasus? How democratic or law abiding would they have been under circumstances Armenians have been forced to live in?
With their lofty slogans meant to emotionally appeal to the most naive or the most disgruntled in society, Washington's servants have done their best during the past twenty years to distract Armenians from pursuing serious political matters that could ultimately help Armenia get out of its stagnation and forge ahead. We need to recognize that no country on earth has truly prospered as a result of adopting modern "Western values" -
Holocaust worship, Anglo-American worship, Dollar worship, celebrity worship, interracialism, multiculturalism, religious cults, widespread promotion of homosexuality, widespread promotion of pharmaceuticals, widespread promotion of feminism, widespread drug addiction, drug addiction amongst adolescents, junk foods, over regulation, poor quality public education, over consumption, over commercialization, proliferation of mind numbing entertainment, proliferation of low grade pop culture, proliferation of pornography, promotion of genetically modified foods, proliferation of multinational mega corporations, crony capitalism, demasculinization of men, corprotocracy, plutocracy, soap operas, African music, Jewish produced motion pictures and television programming, vulgar and sexually explicit music, children rebelling against parents, parents kicking out their children from home once the child is 18 years old, homelessness, political empowerment of minorities, unwed motherhood, glorification of violence, culture of death and violence, acceptance of third world immigration, sexualization of adolescents, pedophilia, empowerment of the lower classes in society, financial indebtedness, living on credit, living beyond one's means, self-gratification, consumerism, materialism, individualism, atheism, sex trafficking and sex tourism
Many nations have been ruined as a result of either willingly adopting
or being forced to take on the above noted toxic values commonly
associated with modern Western/American culture. In fact, one good look at
United States, Germany,
France and Britain is enough to see that such values have ruined western
societies as well. In their post-war zeal to transform the face of
human society, the western world has also fallen victim to Westernization -
Psychoanalyst Says Western Society Is Sick And Heading For Collapse: http://www.businessinsider.com/a-psychoanlytic-guide-to-the-financial-crisis-2012-6Is Western Society on the Brink of Collapse? http://billmoyers.com/2014/03/17/is-western-society-on-the-brink-of-collapse/
America is number 1, but in what? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-wittner/the-united-states-is-no-1
Brain Drain USA: Trend Towards China, India Attracting US Sci-Tech Talent: http://21stcenturywire.com/2013/11/01/brain-drain-usa
Western Arrogance and Decline: http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/bruce-thornton/western-arrogance-and-decline/
The American Dream Is Leaving America: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-the-american-dream-is-leaving-america.html?_r=0
Billionaire George Soros on the Coming U.S. Class War: http://www.newsweek.com/george-soros-coming-us-class-war-64271
While
more-and-more westerners are beginning to recognize that their
civilization is in decline, they fail, however, to cite the Western values I pointed out as the fundamental reason
why. Western society today is systematically being deprived of God, family and country (nationalism). Without God, family and country, humans are nothing but animals pursuing self-gratification. Make no mistake about it, the Western world is in decline and on route to
collapse primarily due to its "values".
Small, poor, mono-ethnic, traditional and conservative - and surrounded by Turks and Islamists in a highly volatile political environment - Armenia can do without Western values.
Small, poor, mono-ethnic, traditional and conservative - and surrounded by Turks and Islamists in a highly volatile political environment - Armenia can do without Western values.
I would like to remind the reader once more that Armenia's most pressing problems today are geopolitical and geographical. Until problems associated with geopolitics and geography are not remedied, Armenia will continue to suffer from severe socioeconomic and sociopolitical ailments even if every single one of of Armenia's dreaded "oligarchs" turned into pretty little angels overnight. Once more: The Russian-led Eurasian Union is a potential cure to many of Armenia's most fundamental issues for it solves Armenia's geopolitical and geographic problems.
[I think it appropriate to mention here that Ukraine
could also have chosen to be a member of the Eurasian Union but it
chose the path of destruction instead. Ukraine would have in fact been a
very important member of the Eurasian Union. Ukraine could have been an
agricultural and industrial power and a major transit hub between
Europe and Russia, instead it reached for the EU where, had it ever even
gotten there, it would have been a welfare state enslaved by the IMF
and looked down upon by the EU's Anglo-Franco-German elite, similar to
how the Western elite looks down upon Greeks, Romanians, Bulgarians,
etc. Instead of being a powerful trade hub between East and West,
Ukraine's blind pursuit of Western fairytales and American dreams has
turned the Ukrainian nation into an impoverished and highly volatile
buffer zone between NATO and Russia.]
Nevertheless, it's been a long road to economic and political security for Armenia. Yerevan's
membership in the Russian-led economic pact is very important in that it
has made Armenia now impervious to Western-Turco-Islamic designs
in the region. Armenia is increasingly becoming immune to Western aggression, manipulation and blackmail. This is why Western powers, Turks and Armenia's Western-led political opposition are in a panic. This is why when they speak out about this topic the aforementioned three belligerents more-or-less sound the same. In
the following two links we see Western/Turkish objections against Armenia's
membership in the Eurasian Union more-or-less mirroring arguments raised
by Armenia's Western-led political opposition and Western-funded activists -
Armenia's membership in EEU will further undermine regional security: http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Armenia-s-membership-in-EEU-will-further-undermine-regional-security_7684-CHMTU1NzY4NC81
Armenia's Eurasian Deal: Sell out or Fair Trade: http://iwpr.net/report-news/armenias-eurasian-deal-sell-out-or-fair-trade
The two articles above are a good indicator that they are losing their leverage over Armenia and they are losing their grip over the south Caucasus. All this could not have come a moment too soon. In
their attempt to preserve global hegemony and derail the emergence of
new powers such as Russia, China, India and Iran, Western powers have
turned the entire world into a volatile powder keg. The crisis in
Eastern Europe and the terrible carnage taking place in the Middle East
are too close to Armenia's borders. Western powers have brought the global community to the precipice of a world war.
There is a real threat of a major global conflagration. This is the backdrop within which the Eurasian Union was created. There has thus been an air of absolute urgency within the Kremlin. At a time
when Moscow
is desperately trying to ward-off Western aggression against Ukraine, Syria and
Iran, and secure its zones of influence throughout Eurasia from Western
inroads, Russian officials would no longer tolerate Yerevan's
flirtations with the West. The following is a chronological look at how we got to where we are today -
Vladimir Putin Wants Eurasian Economic Union (November, 2011): http://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/2011/11/putin-sets-sights-on-eurasian-economic.htmlAs Eurasian Union nears Armenia, West goes into panic mode (December, 2012): http://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/2012/12/as-eurasian-union-nears-west-is-going_15.htmlMoscow Warning Armenia Over European Integration Drive (July, 2013): http://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/2013/07/moscow-warning-armenia-over-european.htmlArmenia to join Eurasian Union (September, 2013): http://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/2013/10/armenia-joins-russian-led-customs-union.htmlPresident Putin's visit bolsters Armenia politically, economically and militarily (December, 2013): http://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/2013/12/president-putins-visit-bolsters-armenia.htm
The
long-term benefits for joining the Eurasian Union for an economically
depressed country like Armenia cannot be overstated. Not only does
membership in a readily accessible, vast and resource rich market mean a
real way out of Armenia's economic malaise, membership in a Russian led
pact will also help Armenia further secure its national security. With
Armenia fully within Moscow's military (CSTO) and economic orbit
(Eurasian Union) Ankara and Baku would not even dare think about
touching Armenia, and NATO's twenty year blockade of Armenia (through
which Turco-Western powers thought they would be able to bring Armenia
to its knees) will be effectively rendered obsolete. Armenia's
ascension to the Eurasian Union can therefore be characterized as a
farsighted strategic move to preserve Armenia's very existence in the
south Caucasus.
Will Armenia lose its sovereignty?
I would now like to answer the question regarding whether or not Yerevan will lose sovereignty by joining the Russian-led Eurasian Union by asking two questions: 1) Would Armenia have lost sovereignty in Western structures such as the EU? 2) Has Armenia really been independent since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991?
I am answering a question with a question because those who speak of Armenia losing independence to Russia are the EUrotic freaks and Captain Americas that promote EU membership and Western integration in our societies, and because an "independent" Armenia has in fact been a very dependent nation-state during the past twenty-five years.
Let's be mature enough to to realize that membership within any multinational super structure has its advantages and disadvantages. Yes, Armenia will lose some of its economic and financial sovereignty by joining the Eurasian Union. It's expected, it's natural, but the benefits - political, financial and economic - far outweigh any potential drawbacks. I'd like to remind the reader that Armenia's current "independent" economic capacity is something Armenians cannot brag about. In the big picture, Armenia's economic capacity is miniscule with no hopes of any major breakthroughs. I'd like to remind my readers once more that Armenia's neighbors are not Germans, Swedes or Italians - but Turks, Azeris, Iranians, Georgians and Islamists. As an Armenian nationalist, I would gladly give away some economic and financial independence for access to a market like the Eurasian Union. And let's also be realistic enough to recognize that Armenia's dependency situation would have been terrible in the debt ridden, multinational and decadent theme park known as the EU. At the end of the day, we Armenians will prefer Russia's harsh honesty to the West's polite lies and hypocrisy -
Russian Ambassador says losing part of sovereignty in economic union natural: http://armenianow.com/news/48610/armenia_russian_ambassador_customs_union_sovereignty
Addressing
another silly concern of our Captain Americas, Russophobes and
nationalist nutjobs: No, I do not fear the return of
Communism/Bolshevism nor do I think the Russian
nation has the appetite - or is stupid enough - to seek the resurrection
of the Russian Empire.
When we talk about greater Russian involvement in the context of former Soviet republics, what we are talking about is a Russian-led confederation of independent states closely working together. What membership in the Eurasian Union will ultimately mean for Armenia is closer, more effective political, economic and financial cooperation between former Soviet states - and not the lose of its national independence or national character. Suggesting anything else is nonsense derived from political illiteracy, clinical paranoia or Uncle Sam's political script book.
And those who suffer from Soviet nostalgia would do well to recognize that the Eurasian Union has the potential of resurrecting some of the more positive aspects of the Soviet system and combine it with some of the more positive aspects of western civilization. The best of both worlds. In other words: The Eurasian Union can be looked at as being something that somewhat resembles the Soviet Union, without the communism.
Once more: What membership in the Eurasian Union ultimately means for Armenia is
more efficient economic trade amongst a community of regional member states. What
membership ultimately means for Armenia is a massive,
readily accessible market where its products are well known and better
appreciated than anywhere else on earth. More
importantly, membership in the Eurasian Union lessens the importance of
the Armenian-Turkish border, lessens Armenia's current reliance on
the US Dollar and lessens the corrosive sociological and cultural
effects of Western Globalism. It's been a long journey but I now see
light at the end of the tunnel.
Why couldn't Armenia trade with both economic zones?
In
an ideal world Armenia would have close relations with both East and
West. But, to put it mildly, we live in a less-than ideal world and
Armenia is too weak and too vulnerable to dictate what it wants on the
international arena. Although
our Russophobes claim that Moscow has been using strong-arm tactics to
pull Yerevan away from the EU, it had in fact been European officials
that
had been placing very strong preconditions on Yerevan. Armenian officials had expressed - and continue to express - their strong desire to have close ties with both economic blocs.
Western officials, however, have been publicly claiming that Yerevan's entry
into an economic pact overseen by Moscow will disqualify it from any dealings with the EU.
Nevertheless, regardless of what Yerevan wanted, Brussels wanted Armenia without Russia and Russia wanted Armenia without Brussels. In other words, Armenia was dealing with jealous partners with no desire to share anything. Therefore, Armenia could not have its desired, if I may - ménage à trios.
Thus, in the big picture, Armenia had in fact no choice in the matter. This was, from the start, an arranged marriage between Moscow and Yerevan. Although arranged, I am however very happy about the partner in question.
As
a partner, Russia may not be perfect (then again, who is, the West?)
but it has been a very good provider for an embattled Armenia in a nasty
place like the south Caucasus for the past two hundred years. Russia may also be an overly jealous partner - and
it does act brutish at times - but it knows how to protect its turf and
we Armenians knows how deal with it. As mentioned above, we Armenians
have been dealing with Russia for the past two hundred years. Russia is a partner we know very well.
With that said, Yerevan has been signalling that it wants good relations with the Western world. The West has begun signaling that it wants good relations with Armenia. Moscow has been signalling that it does not object
to good relations between Armenia and the West - as long as Yerevan is
operating from within Russian structures.
I do not see any reason for
Yerevan not to continue cooperating with European bodies as long as the aid Western powers
are providing Armenia does not come with conditions. In fact, with the sanctions
war between Russia and the West not about the end any time soon, Armenia
can act as an intermediary - a bridge,
as the Armenian president recently suggested - between Russia and the West.
So, even in the on-going tensions between Moscow and the West there are
some opportunities for Armenia - if we Armenians are foresighted and clever enough to take advantage of them.
Armenia has only one choice, Russia
Although we have
countless idiots in Armenia and in the Diaspora who think we are living
in an enlightened age where the "rule of international law" and "human
rights" are respected, the fact is that Western powers, as well as the entire world, is still very much governed by the very old
adage of - might makes right. Cypriots, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Libyans, Syrians, Alewites, Kurds, Yezdis and Ukrainians have found this out the hard way. Let's never forget that "international law" is made by the powerful to control the weak. Had
it not been for Russia's military presence in Armenia we Armenians
would have lost Artsakh a long time ago and Armenia would, at the very
least, be under Ankara's mercy today - as Western powers looked on.
We have seen enough of Western treachery around the world to once and for all understand that the West will not lift a single finger to save Armenia from anything.
I'll put it another way: Imagine the south Caucasus as a table where Turks,
Azeris, Iranians, Georgians, Islamists, Armenians, Western energy interests and
Russians sit to discuss business. Now imagine this "Caucasian table" effectively without
its Russian resident. In another words, imagine the region without a powerful
Russian presence. Now imagine what political clout or leverage our tiny, impoverished,
remote, landlocked, inexperienced, embattled and economically blockaded homeland will have
at that table.
Make sense?
I reiterate: No Russia in the south Caucasus means no Armenia in the south Caucasus. Anyone that does not see this or understand this - especially after witnessing recent events in Syria and Ukraine - is either an imbecile or an enemy of Armenia.
Bordered by a genocidal, Turkic NATO member on its western border, a genocidal, Turkic aggressor on its eastern border, an unstable and an Armenophobic neighbor to the north and a friendly but Islamic neighbor to the south, Armenia has only one choice when it comes to picking its allies in the Caucasus region. Yerevan has no choice but to align itself with the Russian Federation and concentrate its limited resources on deepening its ties with Moscow.
Make sense?
I reiterate: No Russia in the south Caucasus means no Armenia in the south Caucasus. Anyone that does not see this or understand this - especially after witnessing recent events in Syria and Ukraine - is either an imbecile or an enemy of Armenia.
Bordered by a genocidal, Turkic NATO member on its western border, a genocidal, Turkic aggressor on its eastern border, an unstable and an Armenophobic neighbor to the north and a friendly but Islamic neighbor to the south, Armenia has only one choice when it comes to picking its allies in the Caucasus region. Yerevan has no choice but to align itself with the Russian Federation and concentrate its limited resources on deepening its ties with Moscow.
The
political West was never a real choice for Armenia because Western
powers, by the very nature of geopolitics, are anti-Armenian.
Look at it this way: Armenia's friends - Russia and Iran - are their enemies. Armenia's enemies - Turks and Azeris - are their friends. Therefore, under the current geopolitical formula, genuine friendship between Armenia and the West is not possible. We must always bare in mind that geostrategically Armenia does not serve the interests of Western policymakers. Simply put: Armenia is too small, too poor, too remote, too Christian, too traditional, too ethnically homogenous, it has too many problems with Washington's best friends in the region, and it is too close with Washington's enemies in the regi0n. Washington cannot be trusted -
US working to strengthen relations with Turks and Azeris: http://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/2012/11/us-working-to-strengthen-relations-with.html
Will the US Punish Armenia? http://asbarez.com/104894/will-the-us-punish-armenia/
Armenia Has Always Been the Aggressor: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/217157-armenia-has-always-been-the-aggressor
Is Putin's Next Move Against Azerbaijan: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2014/08/08/is-putins-next-move-against-azerbaijan/
Azerbaijan, not Armenia, is Israel's true ally: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.623390
Armenia Criticizes NATO for pro-Azeri statement: http://asbarez.com/126712/armenia-pans-nato-for-pro-azeri-statement/
Warlick Presents US Position on Karabakh Conflict: http://asbarez.com/122771/warlick-presents-us-position-on-karabakh-conflict/
While
Western officials keep our Democracy Now(!) idiots preoccupied with things like gay
rights, civil society and free speech, keeping Armenia politically isolated and
economically stagnant is their ultimate game. It would therefore be wise for Armenians to look
past the lofty rhetoric of Washingtonian scum and assess their actions in Armenia within the following geostrategic context -
George Friedman: Keep Armenia isolated: http://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/2010/11/arye-gut-israeli-jewish-expert-in.html
As I said: Whereas Armenia is a strategic asset for Moscow and
for Tehran, Armenia is a geopolitical obstacle and a nuisance for the West. After all, the only reason why the West is in the
Caucasus region is to curb the growth of Russian and Iranian power and to exploit Central
Asian energy. Moreover, suggestions that our homeland is too reliant on Russia is a moot point because - a newly formed, tiny, impoverished, remote, landlocked
and a blockaded nation located in one of the most hostile political environments
on earth cannot be "independent" despite our best efforts. Besides, other than a handful of political
entities on earth today there are no truly independent nations. What we are
once again failing to realize is that if Armenia somehow managed to cut its umbilical cord with Russia and somehow attained
its independence from Moscow, Armenia would by
default be at the mercy of Ankara, Tbilisi and Baku for survival. Bare in mind
that Tehran is barely surviving the Western aggression against it and its
future continues to remain unpredictable.
The following news item should be a reminder to all Armenians of the spineless nature of the scum in Washington -
Biden’s Apology to Erdogan Reinforces the US Policy of Succumbing to Turkey: http://asbarez.com/127633/biden’s-apology-to-erdogan-reinforces-the-us-policy-of-succumbing-to-turkey/
For
many decades the Armenian-American community has been wasting time and
money in the anti-Armenian vipers nest known as Washington. If we
Armenians
had any political foresight, we would have moved our political lobbying
efforts (i.e. Hay Dat) long ago to Moscow, where it could have actually
yielded
real, tangible results. Instead, we allow scum in Washington to threaten us from time to time, insult us from time-to-time and blow smoke up our asses most other times. The
Western world - by political logic - cannot be a genuine friend
to Armenia. The Western world can therefore not be trusted by
Armenians.
I reiterate: Armenia has only one choice and that is Russia!
Where would our Russophobes and nationalist nutjobs be today had Russia not invaded and not stayed in the Caucasus some two hundred years ago? Where would our Russophobes and nationalist nutjobs be today had the Kremlin not forced Armenia into Soviet Union back in 1921? Where would our Russophobes and nationalist nutjobs be today had there not been the Russian lifeline to Armenia during the post Soviet years? Without the Russian factor in the south Caucasus for the past two hundred years, our Russophobes and nationalist nutjobs today would be herding goats or selling carpets with their Kurdish neighbors somewhere in eastern Turkey or northern Iran.
What's
astonishing to me
is that in this day in age we still have idiots who think Washington is a
positive factor in Armenian affairs and an "authority" on political matters around the world.
What's also astonishing to me
is that in this day in age we still have idiots who think our small, impoverished, landlocked and embattled homeland can go
it alone in the south Caucasus. I'd like to remind my readers once more that Armenia's neighbors are not Germans, Spaniards, Swedes or Italians - but Turks,
Azeris, Iranians, Georgians and Islamists. I'd
also like to remind the reader that Armenia's "independence" from
Moscow would ultimately mean "dependence" on Ankara, Washington,
London, Tel Aviv, Brussels, Tbilisi and Baku.
In the big picture, I'd
rather Armenia become a Russian "oblast" than an open-air brothel
servicing Turks, Azeris, Islamists, Georgians and Western oil companies.
Armenia has only one choice and that is Russia. Russia is once again on the rise. We will not see the repeat of 1917 or 1991. Russia is once again the alpha and the omega of the Caucasus. And with the decline of Western powers and the emergence of nations such as Russia, China, India and Iran, we are at the crux of a new world order. Moscow is in the process of reinstating its power and influence within former Soviet territory, and because of its status as Moscow's strategic ally in the south Caucasus, Armenia has the unique opportunity now to firmly establish itself within Russia's foreign policy calculations. A free and independent Armenia is in a strategic alliance with a major world power.
Armenian's need to free themselves of their shackles of political
ignorance and see in all this a historic
opportunity Armenia, an opportunity Armenia has not had in well over one
thousand years.
Armenians
need to be wise enough to recognize that the key to Armenia's success
as a nation-state in the troublesome south Caucasus is found
within the highest offices of the Kremlin. Instead of the constant complaints
and fearmongering over Russia's growing influence in the south Caucasus,
Armenians would do well to accept reality and embark on a collective effort -
similar to what Jews do in the West - to promote Armenia's national
interests within Moscow.
Do Armenia's sons and daughters have the foresight to take advantage of
this historic opportunity, an opportunity Armenia has not had in well
over one thousand years - or is the legendary Armenian mind only reserved to be used for personal matters or used against other
Armenians? Time will tell...
Armenia needs to look North, South and Far East
For
the past twenty years Armenians have wasted too much time and precious
resources
pursuing Western dictates with nothing but a
desperately impoverished and a politically unstable nation to show for
it.
Armenia
has stagnated for the past twenty-five years chasing
elusive Western fairytales. With tectonic shifts taking place
geopolitically and with new opportunities emerging around the world,
it's high time for Yerevan to stop wasting time with dangerous criminals in Washington. It's high time for Yerevan to start concentrating its already limited resources on further developing its north-south
axis (i.e. Russia and Iran) and actively begin seeking emerging markets in the East
(i.e. China and India).
As a member of the Eurasian Union, Armenia stands poised today to become a major regional power and a trade hub for Europeans seeking to do business in the Eurasian Union and for Iranians seeking to do business in the Europe and Russia. Through Russia and Iran, Armenia will in turn have direct access to markets stretching from Europe to the Far-East. Through Armenia, Russia can have access to Iran.
With its economic - and
financial - emphasis placed on its north-south axis, Yerevan will be
able to protect itself from the adverse effects of corrosive globalist entities such as the IMF and the
USAID - and null the importance of the Turkish-Armenian border.
No matter how one looks at it, Armenia's only hope for a better future will come with closer integration within Russia's political and economic zone, where Armenia as a nation-state plays a strategic role and where Armenian products are well known and better appreciated. The following news report is perhaps like a little glimpse into Armenia's economic future -
Սերժ Սարգսյանն այցելել է Սյունիքի մարզի արտադրական ձեռնարկություններ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVIIrOnllOY
With peace in the Caucasus, the possibilities for Armenia will be endless. Operating
from within the Russian orbit and maintaining good relations with
nations like Germany, France, Iran, India and China is the best chance
Armenia has
for developing its economy, its national infrastructure and securing its
borders from regional predators in the process.
At the end of the day, Armenians must understand that the only way Armenia will move forward and have a chance at prosperity is if the wild Caucasus is pacified once more. For the foreseeable future, the only way the wild Caucasus will be pacified once again is through Pax Russica. At the end of the day, the only way the wild Caucasus can be pacified is through the absorption of regional nations into a Russian-led union. With Moscow acting as the sole arbiter in the region, Western powers and their regional Turkish and Islamist allies will retreat. Only with them gone will the "Great Game" come to an end and projects such as the north-south highway and the Russia-Armenia-Iran railway grow to fruition. Only then will Armenia have a direct and unhindered access to developing markets in former Soviet territory to the north and to Iran and beyond to the south. Armenia has only one choice and that choice is Russia.
At the end of the day, Armenians must understand that the only way Armenia will move forward and have a chance at prosperity is if the wild Caucasus is pacified once more. For the foreseeable future, the only way the wild Caucasus will be pacified once again is through Pax Russica. At the end of the day, the only way the wild Caucasus can be pacified is through the absorption of regional nations into a Russian-led union. With Moscow acting as the sole arbiter in the region, Western powers and their regional Turkish and Islamist allies will retreat. Only with them gone will the "Great Game" come to an end and projects such as the north-south highway and the Russia-Armenia-Iran railway grow to fruition. Only then will Armenia have a direct and unhindered access to developing markets in former Soviet territory to the north and to Iran and beyond to the south. Armenia has only one choice and that choice is Russia.
The case against European integration
I should not even be wasting my time making a case against EU integration for Armenia. It should have been obvious to all rational
minds that the EU would prove disastrous for a small, remote, poor and vulnerable nation like Armenia. But
since we are living in a world turned up-side-down and an age where rationale and critical thinking is
severely compromised and the "street" (with all that it entails) is
given a free say in political matters, I feel obligated to spell things out
once more even at the risk of sounding painfully redundant.
Many Armenians today continue to think that the Western integration is the panacea to all of Armenia's ailments, even as the EU has been decaying and imploding in front of our very eyes. While Europeans themselves are desperately seeking ways of abandoning their sinking ship, we have large numbers of idiots enthusiastically seeking ways of jumping onto it.
EU membership would have been disastrous for Armenia. The EU not only enslaves politically, financially, economically and culturally. The EU is a catalyst of Western-style Social Engineering that once imported into a small, conservative and monoethnic nation like Armenia it will prove fatal.
Theoretically, had Russia somehow disappeared from the face of the earth (virtual impossibility) and Yerevan somehow got accepted into the EU (virtual impossibility), Armenians would have quickly found that Armenian products would have no place in the European market. Not only that: Armenia's tiny, fledgling economy would have been smothered to death by multinational mega-corporations based in Europe and in the US. Armenian businessmen would have found that the EU is essentially a closed-circuit financial/economic structure where the Western elites (Germans, French, British, Americans and of course Jews) control everything.
EU membership only promised to turn Armenia into a Socially Engineered welfare state under constant threat from Turkey. Mind you that I am not even addressing the suicidal/fatal geopolitical ramifications of Armenia attempting to break way from Russia to join the West. Armenians constantly need to be reminded that thanks to Western policies the south Caucasus is merely one bad event away from turning back into a Turkic/Islamic cesspool. Armenians constantly need to be reminded that Armenia is one Western-leaning president away from disappearing from the map once again.
Nevertheless, beleaguered nations such as Greece, Bulgaria, Rumania, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Cyprus and Italy have vividly shown us in recent years that Armenia's membership into the EU would have done nothing positive for Armenia. In fact, even the Czech republic, one of the CIA's favorite European playgrounds and a country that Americans have essentially turned into an open air whorehouse is apparently not immune to corruption and sociopolitical malaise -
Corruption remains major problem in Czech Republic: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-27670980
For a small, impoverished, embattled and vulnerable nation like
Armenia, "Western integration" would have meant adopting an
Anglo-American-Zionist agenda (i.e. slavery to the US Dollar, slavery to Western energy interests, slavery to
Western corporations, multiculturalism, inter-racialism, sexual perversions,
destruction of the traditional family unit, destruction of the national church
and the death of nationalism). For a small, impoverished and a south Caucasus
nation
like Armenia, "Western integration" would have also meant indirect subordination
to Ankara.
So blinded by their political illiteracy and Russophobia, our EUrotic idiots and Captain Americas were failing to realize that Armenia's primary route to the EU would NOT have come via Georgia - but via TURKEY! Our West-leaning fools today fail to understand that for Armenia "independence" from Russia will ultimately mean DEPENDENCE ON TURKEY.
I would like to bring another angle into this: During the past
twenty years, the only thing that has stopped
American,
British, European, Turkish or Israeli firms or individuals from hopping aboard an
airplane, going to Armenia and practically purchasing the entire country
in one financial transaction has been Russia's security services and, in my opinion - Armenia's oligarchs. Closer European integration, however, would have replaced Armenia's homegrown oligarchs with bigger and
nastier (but better dressed and better educated) oligarchs based
in New York, London, Brussels, Istanbul and Tel Aviv.
Without its dreaded oligarchs, Armenia would have been economically,
financially and thus politically enslaved by Western multinationals and
banksters.
What lessons can Bulgarians teach Armenians
Although
a strong case against European integration can be easily made with EU member
state Greece or Spain for instance, I
would like to single-out Bulgaria simply because of all the troubled EU states today,
the nation of Bulgaria perhaps compares the closest to Armenia. Therefore, let's take a quick look
at how EU membership has helped Bulgaria -
Buying an election, Bulgarian style: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/05/2013512101031785197.html
Power rustlers turn the screw in Bulgaria, EU's poorest country: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/06/us-bulgaria-government-idUSBRE92508J2013030
Few Vote in Bulgaria as Apathy Prevails: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/world/europe/bulgaria-elections.html?_r=0
Corruption in
EU member Bulgaria today is rampant (even western Europeans are
participating in it). Violence, unemployment,
energy costs are very high in Bulgaria. In fact, hundreds-of-thousands of Bulgarian are fleeing
their country to the EU's power-centers (i.e. France, Germany and
Britain). Similar
to Greece, which has been systematically reduced to being a subsidized
nation
barely making a living on German handouts, EU member Bulgaria is on
the verge of becoming a failed state.
Interestingly, in stark contrast to Western news reports about Armenia, reports about
Europe's most destitute nations are seldom covered in detail by mainstream news agencies or Western NGOs. In
other words, they can't complain about Bulgaria's "oligarchs" because
all of Bulgaria's "oligarchs" reside in Brussels, London and
Washington. They cant even blame Moscow this time. Therefore, there is no
Western agenda to foment political unrest or a regime change in places such
Bulgaria. As a result, Western propagandists avoid seasoning news stories with
political incitement. As messy as Bulgaria is, as far as Western officials are
concerned, Bulgaria is slowly developing and progressing... because it is
bending-over to Western institutions and not Moscow or anybody else.
The most important lesson a nation like Bulgaria should be teaching
Armenians is that Western or European integration is not and will never be a cure for any of
Armenia's most pressing problems. Armenia's most pressing problems today are geographic (location),
geopolitical (superpower politics) and bio-cultural (Armenian folk culture). Armenians need to understand is that closer integration with the Western world
will not help it in any tangible way... other than perhaps increase
the
numbers of suicides, drug abuse, rapes, homelessness, child pornography,
pedophilia, sex tourism, marital divorce, single parenthood, teenage
pregnancies and homosexuals. With closer EU integration, Armenia will be -
literally - sold to the highest international bidder. The multicultural/multiracial theme park known as the EU is imploding under its artificially induced weight. What
Armenia did NOT need was a haphazard entry into a sinking ship like the EU.
Armenians also need to understand that despite it being tiny, remote, impoverished,
landlocked, blockaded and surrounded by enemies in one of the most violent
regions of the world, Armenia has done remarkably well. And, as noted above, as primitive and nasty as they may seem at times, our
"oligarchs" in Armenia are much preferable to any Western-based
multinational mega corporation that would be running the show in Armenia once
the nation is subjugated by Western powers.
But none of this matters for some people who are in awe of the Western world.
I'd
like to remind such people that the
lure of Europe today is based in Europe's past achievements. Its
beauty, its civic order, its high standards-of-living, its open
mindedness, its cultural vitality are all a product of its past
achievements. With that said, the European spirit of yesteryear does not
exist today.
Europe, western Europe in particular, has been a civilization in decline
ever since the Anglo-American-Zionist alliance came to rule the
continent. Rife with rigid bureaucracy, holocaust worship, sexual
decadence,
ultra-liberalism, Islamic colonization, militant-feminism, homosexuality, multiculturalism, inter-racialism,
consumerism, individualism, high taxes, fiscal waste, influx of third
world immigration and bloated
now with an amalgam of peoples with little in common with each other, Europe is dying a slow, miserable death.
The following are some of the modern "Western
values" plaguing the world today -
Japanese artist cooks, serves own genitals at banquet: http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/05/japanese-artist-cooks-serves-own-genitals-at-banquet.html
Australian mother raped own 11 yr old daughter for 'sex education': http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/120110/mother-rape-daughter-porn-films-cybersex-sex-education
Satanists Perform ‘Gay Ritual’ at Westboro Gravesite: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/07/satanists-perform-gay-ritual-at-westboro-gravesite/
Does Hollywood have a paedophilia epidemic? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2070474/Does-Hollywood-paedophilia-epidemic-Abuse-revealed-child-actors.html
One in Five American Adults Takes Psychiatric Drugs: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/11/17/one-in-five-american-adults-takes-psychiatric-drugs/
Nearly 2/3 of Teen Girls in America Likely to Use Drugs and Alcohol: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-study-new-data-show-teen-girls-more-likely-to-see-benefits-in-drug-and-alcohol-use-97375794.html
100,000 Children in US Are Forced Into Prostitution Each Year: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/07/09/2270371/100000-children-are-forced-into-prostitution-each-year/
How Much Pee in Pan Will Prompt Museum Intervention? http://artfcity.com/2010/03/01/how-much-pee-in-pan-will-prompt-museum-intervention/
Heavens of Sex Tourism in Eastern Europe: Latvia, Ukraine, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria: http://www.dnd.com.pk/heavens-sex-tourism-eastern-europe-latvia-ukraine-hungary-czech-republic-bulgaria/
Senator Ted Cruz Stands With Israel: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-angers-arab-christians-stand-with-israel
Andres Serrano's controversial Piss Christ goes on view in New York: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/sep/28/andres-serrano-piss-christ-new-york
Canadian arch-abortionist Henry Morgentaler dead at 90: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/may-god-have-mercy-on-his-soul-canadian-arch-abortionist-henry-morgentaler
'Commercialized grief'? Public reacts to September 11 Museum's gift shop: http://www.today.com/news/commercialized-grief-public-reacts-september-11-museums-gift-shop-2D79680937
Mass Shootings Tracker for 2014: http://shootingtracker.com/wiki/Mass_Shootings_in_2014
In Torrent of Rapes in Britain, an Uncomfortable Focus on Race and Ethnicity: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/world/in-torrent-of-rapes-in-britain-an-uncomfortable-focus-on-race-and-ethnicity.html
Bestiality brothels are 'spreading through Germany': http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2352779/Bestiality-brothels-spreading-Germany-campaigner-claims-abusers-sex-animals-lifestyle-choice.html
As pretty and orderly as it may look on the outside, the Western world is ugly and
decaying on the inside. Having squandered its positive mythos for the global sheeple, the Western world
today is merely hanging by a thread - the hegemony of the US Dollar.
Once the US Dollar collapses, so will the West. It's not a matter of if,
it's simply a matter of when. And when the collapse in question takes
place, it will make the Soviet collapse look like a picnic. The Western world is a has been. Time to look forward. Time to look Eastward. Armenia can live without modern Western values. Armenia
has a much better chance to preserve its national character
under the Russian umbrella. Armenia has the best chance of economic
progress within the Russian orbit. Armenia has the best chance of
survival as a nation-state in the south Caucasus as Russia's strategic
ally.
No Maidan for Armenia, for now
Despite
the fact that Russian power and influence has been on the rise in the much
contested south Caucasus, the region in question continues to be a center of operations for Western powers. Most
likely, therefore, Western
powers will at some time in the
foreseeable future make another play on the region. Being that Armenia
is the only nation in the south Caucasus they have not been able to lure
away from Moscow, Armenians will continue being one of their primary
targets. I
personally do
not think Western powers will risk encouraging Baku go to war against
Armenia simply due to their fears that Moscow will in response give
Yerevan the
green-light to
attack Azerbaijani water-dams, oil/gas production plants and energy
distribution pipelines. Western powers know very well that militarily
Armenia is superior to Azerbaijan and that Moscow, despite its arms sales to
Azerbaijan, will go to great lengths protect its only strategic ally in the region.
This is why I believe the Western effort to destabilize Armenia and drive a wedge between Yerevan and Moscow will
once again be placed inside Armenian society.
Having the levers with which to carry-out their operations, every election cycle, they will continue rallying their activists to foment unrest in the country. And, as we recently witnessed, their efforts are not only reserved for election cycles.
Having the levers with which to carry-out their operations, every election cycle, they will continue rallying their activists to foment unrest in the country. And, as we recently witnessed, their efforts are not only reserved for election cycles.
Activists from Pre-Parliament, Sardarapat, Civilitas, Heritage, Policy Forum Armenia and a slew of other Western led/inspired/funded NGOs and individual activists prepared for a show-of-force on October 10 when Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Union was to be announced. They were to take to the streets to show the world that Armenians were against joining the Russian-led Eurasian Union. A lot of effort was put into this agenda.
Then, October 10 came and went... and it became glaringly obvious that their agenda was a dismal failure.
They did manage to get several thousand of the sheeple to take to the streets, but the top two political opposition leaders leading the protests, Prosperous Armenia's Gagik Tsarukyan and AIM's Levon Petrosian, had made statements that could only be translated as being pro-Russia at best, Russia-friendly at worst. And if that was not bad enough, to the utter dismay of Paruyr Hayrikian, one of Armenia's longest serving CIA operatives, there were no EU flags anywhere to be seen!
The protest on October 10 instead merely concentrated on the now standard calls for regime change in Armenia. In other words, protest rally was not about Russia or about Armenia's ascension to the Eurasian Union, what Washington wanted, but about Armenian domestic matters.
My suggestions in the past that Gagik Tsarukyan's
Prosperous Armenia has become Armenia's controlled opposition is also
now self-evident. It is also very clear now that Levon Petrosian has
become a thoroughly tamed political figure. For better or for worst, it now seems as if Armenia is well on its way to emulate
the political culture long entrenched in the US - an establishment-based political
system where only a select few political parties recognized
by the high state are allowed to operate.
All-in-all, the October 10 protest was a major victory for Moscow.
This realization has profoundly angered organizations and activists most closely linked to Western powers. This was very evident with Zaruhi Postanjyan. Further radicalized since her training earlier this year at the CIA-affiliated Tufts University in Boston (Raffi Hovanissian's and Vartan Oskanian's Alma Mater), it has been suggested that Zaruhi may quit the Heritage party because it is not radical enough for her.
This realization has profoundly angered organizations and activists most closely linked to Western powers. This was very evident with Zaruhi Postanjyan. Further radicalized since her training earlier this year at the CIA-affiliated Tufts University in Boston (Raffi Hovanissian's and Vartan Oskanian's Alma Mater), it has been suggested that Zaruhi may quit the Heritage party because it is not radical enough for her.
But, as I said, all-in-all, it was a victory for Moscow.
At the end of the day, I guess the survival instincts of Armenians (which has made us stick close to Mother Russia for over two hundreds year) and President Sargsyan's brilliant political maneuverings (which has managed to tame all of the major political opposition groups in the country) proved more effective than Washington's burning desires in Armenia. At least for now, there will not be a Maidan for Armenia. Armenians, as politically ignorant as they may at times seem, have thus far proven to be much smarter than Georgians and Ukrainians. Washington's Armenian mercenaries have not succeeded in driving a wedge between Armenia and Russia. With its membership in the CSTO and now having become part of the Eurasian Union, Armenia is now fully within the Russian orbit.
I should add: There is no doubt in my mind that had Moscow not responded forcefully as it did to Western provocations in Kiev, we would have indeed seen a similar uprising hit Yerevan as well. Nevertheless, as good a lesson as Syria was for Armenians, I believe Ukraine ultimately become an even better lesson. And the following are some of the lessons Armenian should have learned -
At the end of the day, I guess the survival instincts of Armenians (which has made us stick close to Mother Russia for over two hundreds year) and President Sargsyan's brilliant political maneuverings (which has managed to tame all of the major political opposition groups in the country) proved more effective than Washington's burning desires in Armenia. At least for now, there will not be a Maidan for Armenia. Armenians, as politically ignorant as they may at times seem, have thus far proven to be much smarter than Georgians and Ukrainians. Washington's Armenian mercenaries have not succeeded in driving a wedge between Armenia and Russia. With its membership in the CSTO and now having become part of the Eurasian Union, Armenia is now fully within the Russian orbit.
I should add: There is no doubt in my mind that had Moscow not responded forcefully as it did to Western provocations in Kiev, we would have indeed seen a similar uprising hit Yerevan as well. Nevertheless, as good a lesson as Syria was for Armenians, I believe Ukraine ultimately become an even better lesson. And the following are some of the lessons Armenian should have learned -
- Armenia needs sociopolitical evolution and not a Western sponsored revolution
- Western powers do not really care about democracy, human rights or the rule of law
- Armenia's political opposition, whether they realize it or not, serve Western imperial interests
- Western financed news organizations, political parties, NGOs, think tanks and activists in Armenia pose a serious long-term threat to the country
- Western interests and Turkic/Sunni Islamic interests throughout Eurasia compliment each other
- Russia is the region's preeminent power
- Armenia would have lost Artsakh if it attempted to break way from Moscow
- Armenia's rightful place is within Russian's orbit
The aforementioned is what Armenians may have or should have learned from recent events in Syria and Ukraine. Armenia's ascention to the Eurasian Union without any domestic troubles may be a sign that Armenians may have learned their lessons. With that said, however, the Western-led political opposition's failure on October 10 should not be taken as a sign of final victory. Despite Western setbacks in Armenia - and despite all the terrible things know about Western powers - we still have large numbers of Armenians
in the service of Western powers and Washington continues to seed the Armenian landscape with its seeds of destruction. In the following video link we see Armenians once again mindlessly dancing like third world monkeys for the top CIA
representative in Armenia -
These naive/mindless/tasteless adolescents will most probably grow up to become naive/mindless/tasteless adults with Western/Globalist outlooks. This is just one, small example of how the struggle to free Armenia from the clutches of Western powers and Western Globalism (i.e. neo-Bolshevism) is not yet over. As long as we have Armenians adopting Western "pop culture" (the low quality popular culture of the Anglo-American-Jewish world that appeals to the primordial/animalistic nature found within all human beings) and as long as we Armenians continue looking up to the Western world as the universal standard to which all things need to be measured against, Armenia will remain dangerously vulnerable to Western manipulation and machinations. As I have said on countless previous occasions, ultimately, it is we the sheeple that give demons from places like Washington DC their power over nations around the world.Ambassador Heffern's Hip-Hop Without Borders: http://videochart.net/video/26216.2c0b0f1dc0d978a679aaff7f25d8
Washington's Armenian Mercenaries
Having lost leverage over Yerevan, I suspect they will begin placing more emphasis on driving a wedge between Armenia and the American-Armenian Diaspora. One good look around the American-Armenian community tells me Washington will find this to be an unusually easy task. Driving a wedge between Armenia and the Diaspora was actually an agenda rooted in the Cold War era, when the ARF was the absolute darling of the CIA. Uncle Sam's agenda to turn the Armenian Diaspora against Armenia has nevertheless made considerable headway in recent years, particularly in the US where it is common to hear hate speech against Armenian authorities and Armenian natives. With the help of its loyal Armenian subjects in the Diaspora, Washington is essentially continuing a Stalinist policy. With that said, if they do succeed in effectively alienating the American-Armenian Diaspora from the Armenian homeland, it wont be a major lose to Armenia. In my humble opinion, it may even prove somewhat beneficial.
Western powers will continue their agenda to sow unrest in Armenia. If they cannot break Yerevan away from Russia they will have their Armenian mercenaries try to make life miserable for Armenia. Ultimately, the problem for Washington is not the lack of "democracy" in Armenia, it's the lack of Washingtonians in high level positions in Armenia. Had Americans been running the show in Yerevan and had official Yerevan been subservient to Western powers, Armenian officials, as well as Armenia's oligarchs would do no wrong. Since official Yerevan has chosen to remain within Russia's political orbit, they can do no right. The Western crusade against "corruption" in Armenia is fundamentally based on this factor.
As long as Anglo-American-Jews are not in control in Yerevan to turn Armenia into a cheep brothel servicing Turks, Azeris, Wahhabi Islamists and Western energy interests, Armenia's Western-financed activists will continue using every excuse in the book to bitch and complain about Armenia's leadership and attack Armenia's alliance with Russia. As long as Armenian politicians are assessed by Westerners to be serving Russian interests, the brutal psychological warfare against Armenia will continue by a plethora of Western-funded Armenian organizations.
Starting
with Levon Petrosian's color revolution in early 2008, when Washington first realized it was losing Armenia to Russia and ending with 2012's Raffilution, many things were
tried by many people and organizations. Other than contributing to the demoralization of Armenian society with their relentless doom and gloom campaign, they failed to accomplish their main objective of severing Armenia from Russia. But they will not give up. Going forward,
the renewed Western push in Armenia will be spearheaded by an amalgam of Western linked organizations and individuals: Policy Forum
Armenia, Pre-Parliament, Sardarapat, Armenian Renaissance, Raffi
Hovanissian's Heritage Party, Vartan Oskanian's Civilitas, Paruyr Hayrikian's zombies and a slew of other Western financed NGOs and individual activists, many hailing from the US.
When it comes to Armenia's so-called political opposition, do
not be fooled by
their lofty rhetoric about corruption, the rule of law or civil society.
Whether they know it or not, they are all serving Western imperial
interests and are thus the single most lethal threat facing the Armenian state today.
I reiterate: Washington will not give up now simply because Armenia is further out of reach. With a new CIA representative due to arrive
in Armenia soon, we can all be rest assured that Washington's
machinations in the south Caucasus - as well as its constant meddling in
Armenia's internal affairs - will continue as before. We can all
therefore expect another round of political
unrest come next election cycle. In the meanwhile, Russian and Armenian intelligence agencies need to keep a close eye on Washington's faithful servants in Armenia. The following
partial list of individuals and organizations is a good place to start -
Richard Giragosian, Raffi Hovanissian, Zaruhi Postanjian, Nikol Pashinyan, Paruyr Hayrikian, Levon Petrosian, Vartan Oskanian, Andreas Gukasyan, Levon Zurabian, Manvel Sargsian, Babken Der Grigorian, Shant Arutyunian, Ruben Gevorkyants, Avetik Ishkhanyan, Jirayr Libaridian, Yeghia Nersesian, Gayane Abrahamyan, Armen Martirosyan, Salpi Ghazarian, Jirayr Sefilian, Edik Baghtasaryan, Arpine Galfayan, Emil Danielyan, Levon Parseghyan, Artur Sakunts, Susanna Muradyan, Hranush Kharatyan, Georgy Vanyan, Igor Muratyan, Ara Manoogian, Robert Davidian, Onnik Krikorian, David Grigorian, Arpine Galfayan, Vardges Gaspari, Lara Aharonian, Nanore Barsumian, Larisa Minasyan, Mamikon Hovsepyan, Naira Hayrumyan, Sona Ayvazyan, Ara Papyan, Yekaterina Poghosyan, Tigran Khzmalyan, Daniel Ioannisyan, Garo Ghazarian, Garegin Chugaszyan, Liana Aghajanian, Anush Sedrakyan, Arman Babajanyan, Tsovinar Nazaryan, Gevorg Safaryan, Karine Aghajanyan, Angel Khachatryan, Alex Yenikomshyan, Alexander Arzumanyan, Eduard Abrahamyan, Boris Navasardyan, Gayane Mkrtchyan, Maro Matossian, Marianna Grigoryan, Edgar Khachatryan, Karen Hakobian, Tony Halpin, John Hughes, Kirk Wallace, Unzipped, Transparency International Anti-corruption Center, Open Society Foundation Armenia, Pink Armenia, Policy Forum Armenia, Sardarapat, Armenian Renaissance, ACNIS, Civilitas, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, Peace Dialogue, Armenian Environmental Network, Rights and Support FoundationRights and Support FoundationRights and Support Foundation, Women’s Support Center, Rights and Support FoundationInstitute for Democracy and Human Rights, Pre-Parliament, Heritage Party, Radio Liberty, Asparez Journalists' Club, Caucasus Center for Peacemaking Initiative, Women’s Resource Center, Arajinlratvakan, ArmeniaNow, Armenia Today, Aravot, Hetq and Lragir
These are the names with which Western powers have been seeding Armenia's landscape with seeds of destruction. These
organizations and individuals are Armenia's "fifth column" and they will
justify their actions inside Armenia, regardless of how dangerous or irrational they may be,
simply
because they are making a name for themselves - and a living - by
serving a Western
agenda. Many of them, at least subconsciously, hate their homeland.
Quite a few of them are from the fringes of normal society. Quite a few
of them are psychologically disturbed. And a few amongst them are
professional agents working for Western intelligence.
A glaring example of Armenia's Washington-financed fifth column is Paruyr Hayrikian. One of the CIA's longest serving operatives in Armenia and the one-time Soviet dissident with Jewish kids in the US who still claims the "KGB" and "Imperial Russia" are after him, Paruyr Hayrikian has been active lately. This so-called "nationalist" reserves more hatred towards Russians than towards Turks or Azeris. In fact, it's common to hear from his devout followers that "Russians are worst than Turks". Paruyr's lifelong obsession has been a desire to join with Georgians, Azeris and Turks (of course with Western and Jewish support) and form unified Caucasian front against "Russian imperialism". His comments from Georgia last year speak for themselves. Couple of years ago it was Raffi Hovannisian who tried to lose some weight at Armenia's expense. It now seems to be Paruyr's turn. Besides posing for silly pictures with EU flags and going on a supposed hunger-strike "until President Sargsyan steps down", Paruyr claims he will also go to a monastery to pray for better government in Armenia. While he's at the monastery to pray, I suggest he instead prays to God for forgiveness for serving the Devil for the past few decades - not to mention raising Jewish children in Boston. Behold the low intellect and suicidal political tendencies of Armenia's traditional Western-led opposition -
A glaring example of Armenia's Washington-financed fifth column is Paruyr Hayrikian. One of the CIA's longest serving operatives in Armenia and the one-time Soviet dissident with Jewish kids in the US who still claims the "KGB" and "Imperial Russia" are after him, Paruyr Hayrikian has been active lately. This so-called "nationalist" reserves more hatred towards Russians than towards Turks or Azeris. In fact, it's common to hear from his devout followers that "Russians are worst than Turks". Paruyr's lifelong obsession has been a desire to join with Georgians, Azeris and Turks (of course with Western and Jewish support) and form unified Caucasian front against "Russian imperialism". His comments from Georgia last year speak for themselves. Couple of years ago it was Raffi Hovannisian who tried to lose some weight at Armenia's expense. It now seems to be Paruyr's turn. Besides posing for silly pictures with EU flags and going on a supposed hunger-strike "until President Sargsyan steps down", Paruyr claims he will also go to a monastery to pray for better government in Armenia. While he's at the monastery to pray, I suggest he instead prays to God for forgiveness for serving the Devil for the past few decades - not to mention raising Jewish children in Boston. Behold the low intellect and suicidal political tendencies of Armenia's traditional Western-led opposition -
Պարույր Հայրիկյանի նստացույցը` նախագահականի առջեւ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHof4-2cKy4
American-Armenians Richard Giragosian and Raffi Hovannisna are also good examples of how Washington has been seeding the Armenian landscape with its mercenaries -
In their massive arrogance, mental illness, deep political ignorance or treasonous pursuits, Armenians
today continue being Armenia's first and foremost obstacle. If one unfortunate day, a day after Russian forces are somehow forced to retreat from the south Caucasus and Western powers begin
bombing Armenia for one geopolitical reason or another, it would be
these types of Western-funded activists appearing on CNN and BBC to
explain an/or excuse why the "democratic world" needed to bomb their "pro-Russian authoritarian" homeland. We saw a similar process play out in places like Iraq, Libya and Syria. Armenia's Western-led political opposition should be a reminder to us all that throughout our history the Armenian state has had to prepare for battle not only against external enemies but also against internal enemies -
Richard Giragosian: Eurasian Union is not viable without Ukraine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMm5YFKIJqo
Raffi Hovannisian's Heritage Party Condemns Eurasian Union Entry: http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/26642964.html
Հայ-ռուսական համատեղ մարտավարական զորավարժությունը «Ալագյազ» զորավարժարանում: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1qU3_acLno&list=UU4lSkT4s1RJ8EK4nZ7pPgqA
Ոստիկանության զորավարժությունը Արզնի օդանավակայանի տարածքում (դիտել 4:45-ից): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHgK_kKhAxs
Armenia's Western-led political opposition should once again be a reminder to us all that
Armenia's most destructive enemy has always been the Armenian. These people represent the kind of internal filth that has been
responsible for Armenia's sad plight for centuries. They represent the
kind of internal filth that
has historically dragged Armenia though dirt merely for the sake of
their selfish desires, arrogance,
ignorance or just malfeasance. These filth are the spiritual reincarnations of the scum that murdered the great Mkhitar Sparapet and presented his severed
head to the Turkish Pasha as a peace offering. While
bloodless, what Armenia's top whore Zaruhi Boztanjyan did in Strasbourg in 2013, merely a month after the announcement of Armenia's willingness to join the Eurasian Union, was essentially the
same: She beheaded, albeit figuratively, her nation's leader in a public square
in front of foreign leaders. I'm sure, however, that in an earlier time period or
under different circumstances, her beheading of President Serj Sargsyan to appease foreigners would not have been a
figurative one.
Armenia's Russophobic opposition activists are like hysterical whores in heat who need to be bitch slapped by the authorities.
At the end of the day, I
blame Armenian officials for allowing elements within Armenia's political opposition to become willing tools of destruction in service of Western powers. If Armenia is to have lasting political stability, Armenian officials need to stop giving Western-funded NGOs, political activists and propaganda outlets posing as news organizations the
freedom and the platform to destabilize Armenia and demoralize the Armenian nation. In my opinion, there
is too much political
freedom in Armenia: At least much more so than what exists in the
Western world. There is too much political freedoms in a
country
who's citizens do not understand what political freedom means. This freedom and
leniency by the Armenian authorities is being looked upon by Western powers as a weakness and an opportunity to meddle.
The pursuit of "political freedom” or the "freedom of expression" should not be an excuse for destructive behavior in our embattled, little nation surrounded by enemies in the volatile Caucasus. Let’s face it folks, we Armenians do not know what political freedom means and will not do so for some time to come. Therefore, in the meanwhile, God save Armenia from Democracy. God save Armenia from its self-destructive peasantry. If Armenia's Western-led political opposition is what is currently in position to takeover the reigns of power in the country if God forbid the current government is toppled, I much rather we simply give back the house keys to Moscow.
What will happen to Artsakh?
With Armenia now on route to becoming a founding member within the Russian-led Eurasian Union, a pressing question remains: What will happen to Artsakh?
Nothing will change the fact that Artsakh is Armenia, Armenia is Artsakh. All sides - including Moscow, including Astana, including Baku - know that there will be no customs posts installed between Armenia and Artsakh. All sides therefore know that once Armenia becomes a full member within the Eurasian Union Artsakh will - de facto - become part of the pact as well. All this will happen with the full blessings of Moscow. Once Yerevan joins the Eurasian Union, Armenia - and by extension Artsakh - will become fully immune to all forms of Turkic aggression.
Fearing
Yerevan's growing strength in the south Caucasus now that it is on its way to full membership in the Eurasian Union, Azeri officials were
doing their best over the summer to draw Armenia into a serious
confrontation on the line-of-contact between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In my opinion, Western officials may have been complicit. The
intent (similar in scope to Armenia's Western-led political
opposition's intent) was to derail Armenia's ascension to the Eurasian Union. The recent downing of an Armenian military helicopter in which three Armenian airmen died was in my opinion a continuation of this effort. Azeris, Turks and Westerners do not want to see Armenia in the Eurasian Union because they (unlike Armenia's Western-led Russophobic idiots) are smart enough to realize that once Yerevan becomes a full member in
the Russian-led economic pact, all their intentions towards Armenia will come to an abrupt end. Thus far, Yerevan
and Stepanakert have been mature enough not to take the bait being laid before them. Nevertheless, the downing of the helicopter was a deliberate provocation that has unmistakable geopolitical
undertones. In fact, it is very plausible that a Turkish hand was involved. While calls throughout Armenian society for a strong retaliation are understandable, Armenians must be mature enough to understand that a major escalation in the conflict is not in Armenia's interest at this time for that is exactly what Armenia's enemies are seeking. Therefore, a forceful response by Yerevan is not necessary, although some form or an
asymmetrical response is definitely in order. Armenia's military command will respond to this latest Azeri/Turkish aggression in a manner and at a time and place of its choosing. In the meanwhile, the Armenian Presidents defiant flight to the front lines is a good start -
The effort to derail Armenia's ascension to the Eurasian
Union will prove to be a failure. The
Artsakh conflict itself, however, will most likely remain frozen
for
the foreseeable future essentially because it serves Moscow's
geostrategic purpose in the south Caucasus, which is to make both Yerevan
and Baku dependent on Russia. From an Armenian perspective, the status
quo in Artsakh is acceptable due to the obvious fact that Artsakh has
been defacto united with Armenia for the past twenty years, and the later the land dispute in question
is resolved the better it will ultimately be for Armenia.
Սերժ Սարգսյանն ուղղաթիռով մեկնել է Արցախ: http://www.armnewstv.am/news/36851
In the end, Moscow may still force a permanent settlement upon both Yerevan and Baku. I am under no illusions and thus understand that such a settlement may expect Armenia to pull back from some territories outside of Artsakh proper in exchange for some concessions from Baku. Nevertheless, peace or no peace, settlement or no settlement, Artsakh proper (including Artsakh's western territories of Karvachar and Berdzor) will remain Armenian - with Moscow's blessing.
Time to look forward
Recent years should have finally convinced Armenians that Western officials as well as Western organizations/institutions are a
grave threat for underdeveloped and vulnerable nations such as Armenia. Recent
developments in the Middle East and the Ukraine should again be
reminding us Armenians of the
cruel and unforgiving nature of the region in which Armenia is
unfortunately located. Ukrainians and Syrians have in fact gone out of their way
to remind us Armenians that the blind pursuit
of "democracy" is suicidal for fledgling nations.
Armenians may finally be learning that the pursuit of Western fairytales is a
dangerous distraction to nation-building. There are much, much
more important tasks that our underdeveloped and inexperienced nation
in the south Caucasus needs to take on before
it can afford to play around with such nonsense. Armenia's glaring absence from a recent NATO military drill may be a telltale sign that Yerevan is finally beginning to curb some aspects of its "complimentary politics". It is encouraging that Yerevan is beginning to curtail its cooperation with Western powers. The world is changing. The Russian Bear is back. Armenia needs to readjust.
In
my honest opinion, the announcement that came from Moscow on October 10
was like another independence day for Armenia. After twenty-five years
of political instability, cultural decay, mass emmigration, social
unrest and abject poverty, Armenia is finally on the right track. After twenty-five years of stagnation and decay, Armenia is poised to forge ahead. It's time to open our eyes. It's time to accept our destiny. It's time to look forward. It's time to get to work.
Regarding getting to work: Here is a thought to ponder: How about we stop admiring Jews and start acting like Jews?
Armenian lobbyists, politicians, businessmen and military leaders must be a constant presence within the walls of the Kremlin. Russian-Armenians in high level positions within the Russian Federation need to be sought out, embraced and engaged. Russians with high level positions within the Russian Federation need to be sought out, embraced and engaged. Recent years have clearly shown us that Yerevan's alliance with the Russian Bear is Armenia's number one security guarantee. What's more, if Western Armenia is ever to be liberated, it will only be as a result of Russo-Armenian troops marching westward once again. Therefore, disregard the distractions uttered by utter fools in the service of Western powers. For the foreseeable future, the secret to Armenia's success as a nation-state in the south Caucasus rests in the ability of Armenians to work with the Russian Bear. While Armenia's military is its tactical advantage, Armenia's alliance with Russia has to be made its strategic advantage. A powerful manifestation of this strategy is the following military drill that recently took place on the Armenian-Turkish border -
Russian-Armenian Military Drill Targets ‘Ottomania’: http://asbarez.com/126676/russian-armenian-military-drill-targets-%E2%80
Thanks
to its alliance with the Russian Bear, a small, remote, impoverished
and landlocked nation surrounded by predatory animals in a terrible
neighborhood is able to persevere against its larger, wealthier and more
powerful enemies. At the end of the day, we Armenians needs to recognize that no Russia in Armenia means no Armenia in the
South Caucasus. Independence from Russia is dependence on Turkey. EU integration would have proven fatal for Armenia economically
(Armenian products are not wanted in Europe), politically (Europeans are
comfortably in bed with Turks) and culturally (Armenians can do without
“Western values”). Armenia is too vulnerable to make the suicidal mistakes made by Georgians and Ukrainians. Genetically, geographically and culturally, Armenia is a Eurasian
nation. The brand name Armenia is best recognized and Armenian products
are best appreciated within former Soviet territory.
We Armenians need to brand the above in our collective consciousness.
In closing, the historic wars in Novorossiya
and Syria will no doubt have far-reaching consequences for many years to
come.
And with war criminals in the West now openly emphasizing the "territorial integrity"
of nations (i.e. the integrity of nations they are not attempting to
destroy for one reason or another), Moscow will gradually begin looking at Artsakh in the same
light as it looks at Novorossiya, Transnistria, Abkhazia and South
Ossetia. With its Russian supplied arms and membership in the CSTO protecting
its borders from foreign aggression and now with its membership in the
Eurasian Union providing it with an opportunity to finally breath some
life into its economy, I am hopeful that Armenia, now fully within the
Russian orbit, will begin freeing itself of carcinogenic Western influences and Armenians will finally begin their long overdue task of nation-building.
For now at least, I can sleep a little better at nights knowing that Armenian officials understand the paramount importance of having Russian boots on the ground in Armenia. For now at least, I can sleep a little better at nights knowing that Armenia is on route to becoming a founding member within the Russian-led Eurasian Union. For now at least, I am finally hopeful about Armenia's future. God bless Mother Russia. God bless our Hayrenik, Armenia. And may God help protect and preserve the centuries old Russo-Armenian alliance from enemies both foreign and domestic.
Arevordi
October, 2014
***
Armenia Joins Eurasian Union
Armenia Joins Eurasian Union
After months of delay, Armenia formally joined the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on Friday, drawing praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Serzh Sarkisian signed a corresponding accession treaty with Putin and Presidents Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan and Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus at a summit of the Russian-led bloc held in Minsk.
The signing of the document, originally expected in May, was held up by the Kazakh and Belarusian leaders for apparently economic and geopolitical considerations. It was still not a forgone conclusion in the days leading up to the Minsk summit.
Speaking at the gathering, both Putin and Sarkisian expressed hope that the treaty will be ratified by the parliaments of the EEU’s three member states by the end of this year. The Armenian president said his country should be able to “start working from January 1” as a full-fledged member of an alliance which critics fear will restore Russian hegemony over much of the former Soviet Union.
Putin stressed the importance of Armenia’s accession to the EEU in his opening remarks at the summit posted on the Kremlin’s website. “In our view, Armenia is ready to operate in the Eurasian Economic Union on an equal footing with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan,” he said. “Within a relatively short period of time, since the autumn of 2013, our Armenian friends have … brought their national legislation into conformity with the norms of our integration structure.”
“We hope to see positive macroeconomic effects as early as one or two years after Armenia’s accession,” continued Putin. He said membership in the EEU will give a further boost to Armenia’s trade with Russia and the two other ex-Soviet states. “The other key indicators — Gross Domestic Product, consumer demand, real incomes of the population and employment — should also improve,” he added.
Sarkisian, his government and political allies have likewise asserted over the past year that EEU membership will speed up Armenia’s development by lowering the cost of Russian natural gas for its consumers and facilitating its manufacturers’ access to the vast Russian market. However, the authorities in Yerevan have stopped short of forecasting higher growth rates for the Armenian economy for the next few years.
Economic growth in the country is on the contrary slowing down now primarily because of a fallout from Western economic sanctions that have been imposed on Russia in recent months. The International Monetary Fund said last week that Armenia’s GDP will likely increase, in real terms, by only 2.6 percent this year and 3.3 percent in 2015. The Armenian government came up with considerably higher growth projections in its most recent policy program approved by parliament in May.
Entry into the EEU means that Armenia will have to replace its traditionally liberal trade regime with more protectionist policies pursued by the bloc’s three member states. The treaty signed in Minsk allows it to exempt more than 800 types of imported goods from much higher customs duties set by the EEU. Armenian officials say that these exemptions will prevent massive price hikes in the domestic market.
Source: http://asbarez.com/127785/armenia-joins-eurasian-union/
Kremlin Official: Armenia to join Eurasian Economic Union in 2015
“It is planned to sign the agreement on Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union so that Armenia could become the Union’s full-fledged member from January 1, 2015,” the official said.
According to him, the meeting participants will also “analyze the
fulfilment of the roadmap for Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Customs
Union.” The Kremlin official said this roadmap is to be “supplemented
with a new document — the program of measures for adapting Kyrgyz
legislation to the common economic space requirements.”
“The leaders will specially consider issues of the Union’s
interaction with foreign partners, as a number of countries have
displayed not a formal, but practical interest in the expansion of
co-operation with the Union,” Ushakov said. “The negotiations on the
free trade zone creation with Vietnam are at the advanced stage, and
expert groups for the preparation of similar agreements with Israel,
India and Egypt have been formed,” he added. “This work is gaining
momentum,” the Kremlin official said.
The presidential aide recalled that the presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus agreed to ensure synchronisation of the ratification of the Eurasian Economic Union Agreement to put it in effect, as agreed, from January 1, 2015. “On October 3, the Agreement was ratified by Russia, today it is ratified by Kazakhstan and we also expect Minsk to ratify it today,” Ushakov said.
The presidential aide recalled that the presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus agreed to ensure synchronisation of the ratification of the Eurasian Economic Union Agreement to put it in effect, as agreed, from January 1, 2015. “On October 3, the Agreement was ratified by Russia, today it is ratified by Kazakhstan and we also expect Minsk to ratify it today,” Ushakov said.
According to him, the Minsk meeting on October 10 will be attended by the presidents of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. It will be their fourth meeting this year. The Kremlin official said the heads of state would agree on holding another summit - in Moscow in December. He said some 50 regulatory acts are to be adopted before the Eurasian Economic Union starts functioning.
Eurasian Economic Union Treaty
The agreement is the basic document defining the accords between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan for creating the EEU for free movement of goods, services, capital and workforce and conducting coordinated, agreed or common policies in key sectors of the economy, such as energy, industry, agriculture and transport.
It stipulates transition of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan to the next stage of integration after the Customs Union and the common economic space. The Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union stipulates customs and technical regulation, foreign trade policies and measures to protect the internal market. The agreement envisages transition to common customs tariffs.
The agreement also stipulates principles of coordinated macro-economic and foreign exchange policies, financial market regulation, interaction in the energy and transport sectors, development of a common gas, oil, petroleum product, medicines and medical equipment market. The treaty’s provisions also cover such areas as intellectual property and state purchases, industry, agriculture and labor migration. The document also regulates informational interaction within the union.
The document defines the Russian language as the union’s working language. The treaty also stipulates that the Eurasian Commission will be headquartered in Moscow, the Eurasian Economic Union Court in Minsk and the financial regulator in Almaty.
The document says that the union is open for accession by any state sharing the union’s goals and principles on the terms agreed by the member countries. The document stipulates a 10-year period for the union’s member states to fully harmonize their national legislatures.
Armenia's Eurasian Accession; Security Guarantee the Game Changer
On Friday, 10 October, Armenia officially joined the Eurasian Customs Union. It was more than a year ago since the Caucasus
country made its fateful decision to join the Moscow-backed union and
to turn down a potential Association Agreement with the EU.
The decision by the Armenian government has sparked debate in Armenian society about the respective benefits of the two rival blocs. It is true that Armenians have long sought to integrate their country with Europe and, like their northern neighbors the Georgians, they point to long historical associations with Europe. These include their shared Christian roots, the left-to-right directionality of the Armenian alphabet, the mutual contact between the old Armenian kingdoms and the West, and even the very personality of Charles Aznavour. In fact, to an Armenian or Georgian, the idea of possibly joining the EU represents the culmination of a centuries-long quest for Europe.
However, even though an Armenian or Georgian nationalist would never admit this, it was the Russian Empire in the 19th century that effectively reconnected both Georgia and, at least, eastern Armenia with Europe directly for the first time since the Middle Ages. It was also the Soviet era that helped develop the infrastructure and national culture of both countries. In Armenia, this included, among other things, the development of the Armenian capital Yerevan from a dusty backwater into a modern, European-style metropolis, under the guidance of Aleksandr Tamanyan.
Today, Russia continues to play a major role in Armenia's economic and energy sectors. However, the most significant factor in the Russo-Armenian relationship is security. Russia maintains a military base in Gyumri and it guards the country's borders with Iran and Turkey. It was Russia that served as a deterrent against a possible Turkish incursion against Armenia during the war over Nagorny Karabakh in the 1990s.
Today, Russia's position as Armenia's security guarantor remains. It continues to act as a deterrent to Turkey, but perhaps even more significantly, to neighboring Azerbaijan as well. Baku, and its authoritarian leader Ilham Aliyev, continue to threaten Armenia's national existence on a daily basis. In this context, Russia's security partnership and friendship with Armenia is a major vector of Yerevan's foreign policy.
In fact, the arrangement is beneficial not only for Armenia, but for Russia as well. Moscow needs Armenia as part of its security structure and views both Armenia and Georgia as its traditional pillars in the Caucasus as fellow Christian countries. With the recent turn of Georgia toward Western structures, the significance of Armenia in the region has only increased, though Moscow hopes to also lure back Tbilisi too. Ongoing concerns regarding Islamic rebels in the North Caucasus and ISIS in Iraq and Syria, combined with Western efforts to expand NATO, have only increased Moscow's need for a regional security strategy. Armenia plays a key role in this.
By contrast, even though the EU offers Armenia infrastructural improvements and institutional reforms, it is not a "magic bullet" or a "cure-all" remedy for Yerevan. In fact, the EU is still struggling in its recovery from the Eurozone crisis and cannot afford to over-expand itself without threatening the very viability of the European project.
The economies of its newest East European member states – Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia – have performed horribly since the financial crisis began and have stopped converging with their Western counterparts. These three have likewise remained thoroughly corrupt and another, Hungary, has moved backwards toward illiberalism under Viktor Orbán.
All of this indicates that the EU is no guarantee for the automatic improvement of Armenia's state institutions. Simply joining the EU does not make a society "democratic." It must ultimately go through this process on its own. Consequently, democratization does not depend solely on outside forces like Brussels as much as it ultimately does with the people of Armenia.
There are demographic concerns with the EU too. Since joining, many of the new Eastern European member states have experienced massive emigrations to the more developed Western countries. Proponents of the EU point to earlier examples, such as Ireland, and argue that such a phenomenon is merely temporary.
However, since the Eurozone crisis, there are indications that these emigrants are not returning, especially because there are so few employment opportunities in their native countries. The emigration rate has been particularly high in the Baltic states, especially Latvia, which is facing a demographic crisis. A common joke among Latvians is that when "the last Latvian leaves Riga International Airport, he or she should not forget to turn off the light." Birthrates are also low in much of Eastern Europe, while in Russia they are actually on the rise.
Even more alarming, the Eurozone crisis and the major rise of unemployment have triggered a mass emigration of southern Europeans from Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Italy to the more prosperous West and North, again, without any immediate signs of return. For Armenia, a country already experiencing a problem with emigration, it is difficult to imagine how opening the door to Western Europe will help the country. Large numbers of Armenians would pack their bags and leave for the West, many never to return to their homeland.
Most significantly, the EU lacks security mechanisms to help Armenia in the case of an attack by its neighbors. Even if it did, Brussels is too far away, whereas Russia is not only ready and willing to protect Armenia's security, but is also in a geographic position to do so. In the end, while faraway Western Europe may have a marginal interest in Armenia, Russia and its President Vladimir Putin would be willing to pay any price to keep Armenia in its security structure.
Therefore, it is increasingly clear that given Yerevan's geopolitical position, its simultaneous pursuit of both the EU Association Agreement and the Moscow-backed Eurasian Union was likely a gambit by President Serj Sargsyan in order to secure the best possible terms for Armenia. Judging by the body language at Sargsyan's Moscow meeting with Putin, at which his decision to join the Eurasian Union was initially announced, this seems to be the case. Indeed, it is far more likely than the standard narrative by the Western media and pro-Western Armenian oppositionists who claim that Putin simply "pressured" Armenia to join its Eurasian project.
Instead, it is more probable that Moscow put forward a deal of enhanced security guarantees for Nagorny Karabakh, which along with Armenia itself is constantly being threatened by Azerbaijan. This would explain why Sargsyan, himself a Karabakh native, was grinning at the Moscow meeting, as if he had won concessions from Moscow. He did not appear to be a man under pressure and, in fact, seemed quite pleased.
After Yerevan made its initial announcement in September regarding its decision to pursue the Eurasian Union, six days later, Georgia's Bidzina Ivanishvili announced too that Tbilisi may consider joining the Eurasian Union, provided that it be "advantageous for our country." His statement was followed by a promising thaw in Russo-Georgian relations, culminating in Putin's invitation to newly-elected Georgian President Margvelashvili for a future meeting, announced at the Sochi Winter Olympics.
However, interrupted by the crisis in Ukraine, that summit was postponed indefinitely. Neither Moscow (which hopes to secure its regional standing) nor Tbilisi (which hopes for a peace deal on its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia) have completely given up on a future rapprochement.
Meanwhile, officials in Yerevan moved quickly to ensure rapid accession of Armenia into the Eurasian Union. However, the process was slowed by the fact that Armenia does not share a common border with the Customs Union and thus had to seek special economic concessions from Moscow. Additional complications arose when Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev raised concerns about the lack of a clear boundary between Armenia and Karabakh, insisting that a customs post had to be erected. Primarily concerned with maintaining and securing its position in the Caucasus, Moscow acted as the chief advocate for Armenia in its Eurasian accession process, compromising with Astana and ensuring that Yerevan would ultimately enter the union.
Yet, this saga is not over. If the Caucasus is to find peace and stability, then Russia and Georgia need to come to the table and begin talks. Only after Tbilisi and Moscow are reconciled can there be real security and stability in the region, not just for Moscow, Yerevan, and Tbilisi, but for the international community as well.
Pietro A. Shakarian is an MA graduate student at the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES) at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He earned his BA in History from John Carroll University in 2012 and his MLIS from Kent State University in 2013. He also serves as a member of the editorial board for the Gomidas Institute in London and has written analyses on Russia and the former USSR for The Nation and Russia Direct.
The decision by the Armenian government has sparked debate in Armenian society about the respective benefits of the two rival blocs. It is true that Armenians have long sought to integrate their country with Europe and, like their northern neighbors the Georgians, they point to long historical associations with Europe. These include their shared Christian roots, the left-to-right directionality of the Armenian alphabet, the mutual contact between the old Armenian kingdoms and the West, and even the very personality of Charles Aznavour. In fact, to an Armenian or Georgian, the idea of possibly joining the EU represents the culmination of a centuries-long quest for Europe.
However, even though an Armenian or Georgian nationalist would never admit this, it was the Russian Empire in the 19th century that effectively reconnected both Georgia and, at least, eastern Armenia with Europe directly for the first time since the Middle Ages. It was also the Soviet era that helped develop the infrastructure and national culture of both countries. In Armenia, this included, among other things, the development of the Armenian capital Yerevan from a dusty backwater into a modern, European-style metropolis, under the guidance of Aleksandr Tamanyan.
Today, Russia continues to play a major role in Armenia's economic and energy sectors. However, the most significant factor in the Russo-Armenian relationship is security. Russia maintains a military base in Gyumri and it guards the country's borders with Iran and Turkey. It was Russia that served as a deterrent against a possible Turkish incursion against Armenia during the war over Nagorny Karabakh in the 1990s.
Today, Russia's position as Armenia's security guarantor remains. It continues to act as a deterrent to Turkey, but perhaps even more significantly, to neighboring Azerbaijan as well. Baku, and its authoritarian leader Ilham Aliyev, continue to threaten Armenia's national existence on a daily basis. In this context, Russia's security partnership and friendship with Armenia is a major vector of Yerevan's foreign policy.
In fact, the arrangement is beneficial not only for Armenia, but for Russia as well. Moscow needs Armenia as part of its security structure and views both Armenia and Georgia as its traditional pillars in the Caucasus as fellow Christian countries. With the recent turn of Georgia toward Western structures, the significance of Armenia in the region has only increased, though Moscow hopes to also lure back Tbilisi too. Ongoing concerns regarding Islamic rebels in the North Caucasus and ISIS in Iraq and Syria, combined with Western efforts to expand NATO, have only increased Moscow's need for a regional security strategy. Armenia plays a key role in this.
By contrast, even though the EU offers Armenia infrastructural improvements and institutional reforms, it is not a "magic bullet" or a "cure-all" remedy for Yerevan. In fact, the EU is still struggling in its recovery from the Eurozone crisis and cannot afford to over-expand itself without threatening the very viability of the European project.
The economies of its newest East European member states – Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia – have performed horribly since the financial crisis began and have stopped converging with their Western counterparts. These three have likewise remained thoroughly corrupt and another, Hungary, has moved backwards toward illiberalism under Viktor Orbán.
All of this indicates that the EU is no guarantee for the automatic improvement of Armenia's state institutions. Simply joining the EU does not make a society "democratic." It must ultimately go through this process on its own. Consequently, democratization does not depend solely on outside forces like Brussels as much as it ultimately does with the people of Armenia.
There are demographic concerns with the EU too. Since joining, many of the new Eastern European member states have experienced massive emigrations to the more developed Western countries. Proponents of the EU point to earlier examples, such as Ireland, and argue that such a phenomenon is merely temporary.
However, since the Eurozone crisis, there are indications that these emigrants are not returning, especially because there are so few employment opportunities in their native countries. The emigration rate has been particularly high in the Baltic states, especially Latvia, which is facing a demographic crisis. A common joke among Latvians is that when "the last Latvian leaves Riga International Airport, he or she should not forget to turn off the light." Birthrates are also low in much of Eastern Europe, while in Russia they are actually on the rise.
Even more alarming, the Eurozone crisis and the major rise of unemployment have triggered a mass emigration of southern Europeans from Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Italy to the more prosperous West and North, again, without any immediate signs of return. For Armenia, a country already experiencing a problem with emigration, it is difficult to imagine how opening the door to Western Europe will help the country. Large numbers of Armenians would pack their bags and leave for the West, many never to return to their homeland.
Most significantly, the EU lacks security mechanisms to help Armenia in the case of an attack by its neighbors. Even if it did, Brussels is too far away, whereas Russia is not only ready and willing to protect Armenia's security, but is also in a geographic position to do so. In the end, while faraway Western Europe may have a marginal interest in Armenia, Russia and its President Vladimir Putin would be willing to pay any price to keep Armenia in its security structure.
Therefore, it is increasingly clear that given Yerevan's geopolitical position, its simultaneous pursuit of both the EU Association Agreement and the Moscow-backed Eurasian Union was likely a gambit by President Serj Sargsyan in order to secure the best possible terms for Armenia. Judging by the body language at Sargsyan's Moscow meeting with Putin, at which his decision to join the Eurasian Union was initially announced, this seems to be the case. Indeed, it is far more likely than the standard narrative by the Western media and pro-Western Armenian oppositionists who claim that Putin simply "pressured" Armenia to join its Eurasian project.
Instead, it is more probable that Moscow put forward a deal of enhanced security guarantees for Nagorny Karabakh, which along with Armenia itself is constantly being threatened by Azerbaijan. This would explain why Sargsyan, himself a Karabakh native, was grinning at the Moscow meeting, as if he had won concessions from Moscow. He did not appear to be a man under pressure and, in fact, seemed quite pleased.
After Yerevan made its initial announcement in September regarding its decision to pursue the Eurasian Union, six days later, Georgia's Bidzina Ivanishvili announced too that Tbilisi may consider joining the Eurasian Union, provided that it be "advantageous for our country." His statement was followed by a promising thaw in Russo-Georgian relations, culminating in Putin's invitation to newly-elected Georgian President Margvelashvili for a future meeting, announced at the Sochi Winter Olympics.
However, interrupted by the crisis in Ukraine, that summit was postponed indefinitely. Neither Moscow (which hopes to secure its regional standing) nor Tbilisi (which hopes for a peace deal on its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia) have completely given up on a future rapprochement.
Meanwhile, officials in Yerevan moved quickly to ensure rapid accession of Armenia into the Eurasian Union. However, the process was slowed by the fact that Armenia does not share a common border with the Customs Union and thus had to seek special economic concessions from Moscow. Additional complications arose when Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev raised concerns about the lack of a clear boundary between Armenia and Karabakh, insisting that a customs post had to be erected. Primarily concerned with maintaining and securing its position in the Caucasus, Moscow acted as the chief advocate for Armenia in its Eurasian accession process, compromising with Astana and ensuring that Yerevan would ultimately enter the union.
Yet, this saga is not over. If the Caucasus is to find peace and stability, then Russia and Georgia need to come to the table and begin talks. Only after Tbilisi and Moscow are reconciled can there be real security and stability in the region, not just for Moscow, Yerevan, and Tbilisi, but for the international community as well.
Pietro A. Shakarian is an MA graduate student at the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES) at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He earned his BA in History from John Carroll University in 2012 and his MLIS from Kent State University in 2013. He also serves as a member of the editorial board for the Gomidas Institute in London and has written analyses on Russia and the former USSR for The Nation and Russia Direct.
World Armenian Congress: EEU Offers Armenia Higher Level of Security Than EU
The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) offers Armenia a higher level of
security than the European Union (EU), the president of the World
Armenian Congress Ara Abrahamyan said on Monday. "EEU offered a higher
level of security to Armenia than the European
Union," Abrahamyan told reporters adding that joining the EEU "will not
threaten the country's independence but on the contrary will ensure the
security of Armenia." Abrahamyan noted that the EEU membership will
improve the economic
situation in the country, allowing the free flow of capital. "Armenian
authorities should create opportunities for increasing the [Armenian]
export volumes into the EEU countries, as there is demand [for it]
there," he said.n October 10, the leaders of the EEU signed an agreement
on Armenia's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty. Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan signed the treaty in May and have
already ratified the document, which is to come into force on January 1,
2015. The republics of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have also expressed
interest in joining the organization. Under the treaty, the member
countries agree to guarantee the free
flow of goods, services, capital and labor, and to implement a
coordinated policy in the energy, industrial, agricultural and transport
sectors.
Ambassador Kovalenko: Armenia Needs Membership in the Eurasian Union
On October 10th in Minsk as a result of talks between the EEU
countries’ leaders the Agreement on Accession of Armenia to the Eurasian
Economic Union is going to be signed. According to Gallup
International, more than half of Armenia’s citizens positively view
joining the Customs Union, which is a basis for the EEU; 27% of citizens
regard it negatively. At the same time, according to a
survey headlined “Integration Barometer” by the Eurasian Bank of
Development, the accession of Armenia to the Customs Union is viewed
positively by 64% of Armenian citizens, 8% treat it negatively, and 21% -
indifferently.
Vyacheslav Kovalenko, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia to Armenia (2009-2013), the director of regional programs of the Institute of Caspian Cooperation, thinks that “integration for such small countries as Armenia is a guarantee of providing lasting economic interests, lasting economic growth. The process of Eurasian integration means joint working on the game rules and mutual respect of national sovereignties. A significant part of the road has been travelled; there are some problems with customs and tax spheres, which are being intensively discussed.”
According to Kovalenko, “Armenia, which has chosen the Customs Union willingly, will travel the rest of the road by signing the agreement, and together with Russia and other CU members it will come to wide prospects of development of its national economy, using the achievements of the Customs Union. This is oil prices, extension of cooperation and interregional ties, extension of the outlet market for Armenian agricultural producers, issues of migration policies, issuing national status to labor migrants who work in Russia. 2 million Armenians live in Russia. According to the Federal Migration Service, 800 thousand of them are labor migrants. It is important to prevent the situation which has happened in Ukraine, when such conflicts between two parts of the population occurred. We should remember about this important factor.”
Meanwhile, yesterday it was found out that the State Duma could ratify the agreement establishing the Eurasian Economic Union on September 26th.
Vyacheslav Kovalenko, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia to Armenia (2009-2013), the director of regional programs of the Institute of Caspian Cooperation, thinks that “integration for such small countries as Armenia is a guarantee of providing lasting economic interests, lasting economic growth. The process of Eurasian integration means joint working on the game rules and mutual respect of national sovereignties. A significant part of the road has been travelled; there are some problems with customs and tax spheres, which are being intensively discussed.”
According to Kovalenko, “Armenia, which has chosen the Customs Union willingly, will travel the rest of the road by signing the agreement, and together with Russia and other CU members it will come to wide prospects of development of its national economy, using the achievements of the Customs Union. This is oil prices, extension of cooperation and interregional ties, extension of the outlet market for Armenian agricultural producers, issues of migration policies, issuing national status to labor migrants who work in Russia. 2 million Armenians live in Russia. According to the Federal Migration Service, 800 thousand of them are labor migrants. It is important to prevent the situation which has happened in Ukraine, when such conflicts between two parts of the population occurred. We should remember about this important factor.”
Meanwhile, yesterday it was found out that the State Duma could ratify the agreement establishing the Eurasian Economic Union on September 26th.
Source: http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/60289.html
Ambassador Kovalenko Warns Armenia About the Dangers of Adopting Western Values
Armenia will put its national
security and independence at serious risk unless rejects “Western
values” to fully align itself with Russia, a former Russian ambassador
in Yerevan warned on Tuesday. Vyacheslav Kovalenko claimed that failure to make a “final”
geopolitical choice in favor of Russia could thrust the country into the
kind of crisis that has plagued Ukraine since the overthrow of a
pro-Russian government in Kiev.
“Armenia must make a choice because in order for the economy of a small country like Armenia to develop, it has to integrate, it has to join some integration structures,” Kovalenko told Armenian journalists in a video conference from Moscow. “And the choice here is stark. I think the situation will develop in such a way that we will require Armenia to make that choice.
“Armenia can’t endlessly balance [between rival foreign powers] in this complicated international situation. So a lot depends on Armenia’s historical choice: the future of the country, the future of the Armenian people and the future of Armenians in general.”
“Will Armenia remain an independent state with its own national policy, national interests and identity respected around the world?” continued the diplomat who headed the Russian mission in Yerevan until March 2013. “Will it embrace instead the Western values which … will exist as long as Western powers continue their aggressive policies?”
Echoing the official Russian line, Kovalenko claimed that the spread of those values was responsible for the Ukraine crisis. “It is very important that what is now happening in Ukraine, where such [conflicting] relationships have emerged between various segments of the population, is not repeated [in Armenia,]” he said.
“I think that the Armenians, who are one of the most ancient peoples in the world and outlived other peoples that are now non-existent, now live on thanks to right choices which they have always made at critical historical moments. Now is such a critical historical moment in which the Armenians must make a final choice for themselves.”
The ex-envoy, whose current status is not clear, did not clarify whether the Armenian government should only join the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) or go further and freeze or downgrade relations with the West.
President Serzh Sarkisian has sought to deepen those ties even after unexpectedly deciding to make Armenia part of the EEU in August 2013. That decision is widely believed to have been the result of strong Russian pressure exerted on Sarkisian. The latter had previously planned to sign a far-reaching Association Agreement with the European Union. Kovalenko exposed the Russian pressure in an interview published in July 2013. “By embracing European values, Armenia, it appears, could step onto a slippery path,” he warned.
The 68-year-old diplomat has had no official position in the Russian diplomatic ever since the end of his four-year tour of duty in Armenia. Still, in an indication of his lingering links with the Russian establishment, he accompanied Dmitry Kiselyov, Russia’s most famous TV journalist close to the Kremlin, on a trip to Yerevan in June 2014. Kiselyov caused an uproar during that visit when he said that the Russian language must be granted an official status in Armenia. Kovalenko backed those calls rejected by the Armenian leadership.
Source: http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/26602633.html
“Armenia must make a choice because in order for the economy of a small country like Armenia to develop, it has to integrate, it has to join some integration structures,” Kovalenko told Armenian journalists in a video conference from Moscow. “And the choice here is stark. I think the situation will develop in such a way that we will require Armenia to make that choice.
“Armenia can’t endlessly balance [between rival foreign powers] in this complicated international situation. So a lot depends on Armenia’s historical choice: the future of the country, the future of the Armenian people and the future of Armenians in general.”
“Will Armenia remain an independent state with its own national policy, national interests and identity respected around the world?” continued the diplomat who headed the Russian mission in Yerevan until March 2013. “Will it embrace instead the Western values which … will exist as long as Western powers continue their aggressive policies?”
Echoing the official Russian line, Kovalenko claimed that the spread of those values was responsible for the Ukraine crisis. “It is very important that what is now happening in Ukraine, where such [conflicting] relationships have emerged between various segments of the population, is not repeated [in Armenia,]” he said.
“I think that the Armenians, who are one of the most ancient peoples in the world and outlived other peoples that are now non-existent, now live on thanks to right choices which they have always made at critical historical moments. Now is such a critical historical moment in which the Armenians must make a final choice for themselves.”
The ex-envoy, whose current status is not clear, did not clarify whether the Armenian government should only join the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) or go further and freeze or downgrade relations with the West.
President Serzh Sarkisian has sought to deepen those ties even after unexpectedly deciding to make Armenia part of the EEU in August 2013. That decision is widely believed to have been the result of strong Russian pressure exerted on Sarkisian. The latter had previously planned to sign a far-reaching Association Agreement with the European Union. Kovalenko exposed the Russian pressure in an interview published in July 2013. “By embracing European values, Armenia, it appears, could step onto a slippery path,” he warned.
The 68-year-old diplomat has had no official position in the Russian diplomatic ever since the end of his four-year tour of duty in Armenia. Still, in an indication of his lingering links with the Russian establishment, he accompanied Dmitry Kiselyov, Russia’s most famous TV journalist close to the Kremlin, on a trip to Yerevan in June 2014. Kiselyov caused an uproar during that visit when he said that the Russian language must be granted an official status in Armenia. Kovalenko backed those calls rejected by the Armenian leadership.
Source: http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/26602633.html
Armenian Support for Economic Union With Russia Nearly Universal: Russian Ambassador
Armenia’s entry into the Eurasian Economic Union is supported by
virtually every political group in the country, Russian Ambassador to
Armenia Ivan Volinkin told journalists on Saturday following a Friday
meeting of a coalition of the country’s liberal opposition parties.
“Listening to the speeches made by the opposition, one notes that almost all of them are in favor of preserving Armenia’s status [as a candidate for entry into] the Eurasian Economic Union. Apart from maybe one group, no one is against it,” Volinkin said.
At a meeting of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), a coalition of 13 classical liberal opposition parties on Friday, coalition leader and former Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan noted that Armenia’s accession to the EEU is irreversible, and that any opposition to it is not only too late, but also dangerous, pointing to the example of Ukraine.
Ter-Petrosyan, the country’s first president, served between 1991 and 1998. He noted that even the West has been sympathetic to Armenia’s choice, and that a small group of people was unjustifiably trying to provoke anti-Russian sentiment in the country. Only the leader of the “Heritage” party Raffi Hovannisian has stepped out against Armenian accession to the EEU. Heritage controls just four of the 131 seats in Armenia’s unicameral legislature, the National Assembly, which is dominated by the center-right Republican Party (70 seats) and the economically liberal, socially conservative Prosperous Armenia party (36 seats). The Armenian National Congress holds seven seats in the legislature. Commenting on Ter-Petrosyan’s speech, Volinkin noted that “Armenia’s membership in the EEU is the correct strategic decision, but by no means does it mean that the country will close the door on cooperation with other countries.”
Armenia had been set to sign an Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013 in Vilnius, but instead declared its intention to join the Customs Union, and to participate in the Eurasian integration project that currently includes Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. The three countries have ratified the EEU treaty, which will come into force January 2015. Armenia signed on at the beginning of October, with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan also expressing interest in joining the organization.
“Listening to the speeches made by the opposition, one notes that almost all of them are in favor of preserving Armenia’s status [as a candidate for entry into] the Eurasian Economic Union. Apart from maybe one group, no one is against it,” Volinkin said.
At a meeting of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), a coalition of 13 classical liberal opposition parties on Friday, coalition leader and former Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan noted that Armenia’s accession to the EEU is irreversible, and that any opposition to it is not only too late, but also dangerous, pointing to the example of Ukraine.
Ter-Petrosyan, the country’s first president, served between 1991 and 1998. He noted that even the West has been sympathetic to Armenia’s choice, and that a small group of people was unjustifiably trying to provoke anti-Russian sentiment in the country. Only the leader of the “Heritage” party Raffi Hovannisian has stepped out against Armenian accession to the EEU. Heritage controls just four of the 131 seats in Armenia’s unicameral legislature, the National Assembly, which is dominated by the center-right Republican Party (70 seats) and the economically liberal, socially conservative Prosperous Armenia party (36 seats). The Armenian National Congress holds seven seats in the legislature. Commenting on Ter-Petrosyan’s speech, Volinkin noted that “Armenia’s membership in the EEU is the correct strategic decision, but by no means does it mean that the country will close the door on cooperation with other countries.”
Armenia had been set to sign an Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013 in Vilnius, but instead declared its intention to join the Customs Union, and to participate in the Eurasian integration project that currently includes Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. The three countries have ratified the EEU treaty, which will come into force January 2015. Armenia signed on at the beginning of October, with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan also expressing interest in joining the organization.
Harout Sassounian:The West Must Offer Armenia Incentives Rather Than Decry Its Ties with Russia
On October 10, after lengthy heated debates, Armenia signed a treaty
to join the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), composed of Belarus,
Kazakhstan and Russia. The agreement goes into effect on January 1,
2015, subject to ratification by parliaments of the four countries.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have also expressed an interest in joining the
Union. The intended objective of forming EEU is to facilitate the free
movement of goods, services, capital, and labor across member states,
and to implement a coordinated policy in the energy, industrial,
agricultural and transport sectors.
Views of analysts on the merits of Armenia’s membership in EEU
diverge depending on whether they are proponents or opponents of the
country’s leadership. The arguments advanced by opponents of EEU include
the possible loss of Armenia’s independence and isolation of Artsakh
(Karabagh) through the establishment of customs checkpoints at the
border. EEU proponents, on the other hand, are stressing Armenia’s
geostrategic and economic interests. It remains to be seen which of
these arguments will eventually prevail.
Meanwhile, there are some basic facts that are self-evident. Armenia
has had long-standing and multifaceted links to Moscow going back to the
Tsarist era, the Soviet Union, and today’s Russian Federation.
It is imperative to recall that the livelihood of hundreds of
thousands Armenian migrants in Russia will be impacted by Armenia’s EEU
membership, in terms of their ability to reside and work in that
country. Furthermore, Armenian businesses would be able to expand their
small domestic market, exporting their products with favorable tax terms
to over one hundred million potential consumers in Belarus, Kazakhstan,
and Russia. Armenia would also serve as an easy gateway for foreign
investors interested in entering the vast and complex EEU markets. In the final analysis, three essential questions need to be raised on Armenia’s membership in EEU:
1) Given the ongoing Artsakh conflict and Azerbaijan’s multi-billion
dollar military spending spree, which country has sold and will continue
to sell Armenia advanced weapons to mitigate the growing threat from
Baku? Not the Unites States, Great Britain or France, but Russia!
2) Which country can provide Armenia with desperately-needed natural
gas at any price, let alone at subsidized prices? Russia and Iran to a
lesser extent through a small pipeline.
3) Since Russia is Armenia’s largest trading partner, it makes more
economic sense to have favorable tax terms with that country than with
Europe. Not joining EEU would place Armenia at a serious tax
disadvantage with devastating economic consequences.
While these are compelling reasons for Armenia’s decision to join
EEU, no one should conclude that Yerevan has to remain exclusively in
the Russian economic zone. Clearly, it is in Armenia’s interest to
develop multilateral ties with the rest of the world, including Western
Europe, North America, Middle East, and Asia. Armenian officials have
repeatedly stated their interest in developing closer economic,
political, and even military relations with Western countries, but not
at the expense of Armenia’s historical ties with Russia.
Meanwhile, it would be far more productive if Western countries,
particularly the United States, rather than urging Armenian leaders to
cut off vital relations with Russia, would actually offer tax privileges
and other incentives to their investors in Armenia, thus reducing
Yerevan’s exclusive dependence on Russia. Similarly, U.S. criticism and
warnings issued to Armenia for its commercial ties with Iran are
manifestly counter-productive. It would be far more helpful if the Obama
administration could muster the courage to press Turkey and Azerbaijan
into lifting their joint blockade of the Armenian Republic which has
been in effect for over 20 years.
In the light of the foregoing existential strategic and economic
realities, Western countries would be better served to use carrots
rather than sticks to help steer Armenia toward a more balanced
relationship between East and West.
Artsakh Prime Minister Vows Open Border with Armenia in EEU
Artsakh’s Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan has said that Armenia’s
approaching membership in the Eurasian Economic Union is not a reason
for separating the two Armenian republics by a customs checkpoint. “A customs checkpoint between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia is ruled
out. It isn’t possible to have a checkpoint, as that would imply a
border control by defense guards, whereas it isn’t technically feasible
to maintain control over the scores of roadways which connect
Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia,” Ara Harutyunyan told students at Artsakh
State University. The Prime Minister visited the University on Wednesday together with
Minister of Education and Science Slava Asryan to meet with students and
faculty members. The meeting, among other things, addressed social issues, including
salary policies and possible government plans of raising transport
fares. Addressing the University’s role in the country’s economy,
Harutyunyan expressed his dissatisfaction with the graduates’
professional quality. He noted that students majoring in mining
industries, telecommunication, energy and agriculture do not have a
sufficient level of interest in their field of specialization.
Russia Sees No Karabakh Customs Posts
The treaty, which was signed by Nazarbayev and his Russian, Belarusian and Armenian counterparts at an EEU summit on October 10, contains no such special references. Armenian officials have said that Yerevan does not plan to set up customs checkpoints with Karabakh. According the Regnum news agency, the Russian customs chief, Andrey Belyaninov, was asked at a news conference in Moscow whether customs officers will be deployed on the internationally unrecognized Armenian-Karabakh border. “We don’t plan that anytime soon,” he replied.
“I recently appointed a representative to Armenia,” continued Belyaninov. “He will travel to Armenia soon. He will most probably visit the border. But we don’t plan on intervening in the work of Armenian customs officers. “Right now the main issue is the working language. In the customs union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan we use Russian as the working language, while in Armenia, as you know, they use Armenian.”
Source: http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/26654815.html
Russian Media: Armenia gets money, safety, Karabakh status quo in EEU accession
Source: http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/183811/
Russian official: Karabakh can become EEU member after its status is determined
This week at the Parliament, at the 25th Armenian-Russian
Intergovernmental Commission the head of the commission, member of the
Russian Council of the Federation Nikolay Ryzhkov mentioned that
Nagorno-Karabakh can become a member of the Eurasian Economic Union
(EEU) only after clarifying its status. In response to a reporter’s question why Russia can enter the EEU
together with Crimea, and Armenia cannot do the same with Karabakh,
Ryzhkov answered: “You try to compare Crimea with Karabakh… I understand
that Karabakh is a painful topic for Armenia, for us - as well, but in
case of Crimea let me not agree with you. Crimea is historically a
Russian land, for centuries we were one territory, and we have no fault
in the fact that [Nikita] Khrushchev was drunk when he handed it to
Ukraine.”
He mentioned that the population of Crimea willfully decided to join Russia, what were they supposed to do then? Say no?
“Let’s first get determined about the status of Karabakh and then discuss this question. If it is an Armenian land we will be glad to see it in the form of the EEU. For now that question is suspended. For instance, that same Transnistria… they cannot become a member in the EEU because you know the rules, if certain territorial or border issues are not solved then membership cannot take place. Thus, when Karabakh conflict is solved we will be happy for its membership. And the way it will be solved – as a separate state, or in the form of Armenia, life will show,” Ryzhkov said.
Addressing the question concerning the controversial statements of Dmitry Kiselev, a host of a prime-time Sunday program on State Russian TV known as one of the top mouthpieces of the Kremlin, who at a meeting with a group of Armenian lawmakers last summer regretted that the Russian language is fading away in Armenia, calling for its official status, Ryzhkov said that official Moscow never raised the question of Russian becoming Armenia’s state language. “Frankly speaking, this is the first time I hear about forceful steps toward the status of the Russian language, moreover, Russian being granted the status of the second state language. Armenia has a state language; besides, it is a mono-ethnic state. Someone might have said something. Do not listen to them,” Ryzhkov said.
Ryzhkov, 85, is considered a pro-Armenian politician, in the international arena he stands out by his pro-Armenian speeches, valuing the necessity of the Armenian-Russian strategy. In Gyumri there is a Ryzhkov memorial board with his face carved on it, in Spitak – his statue in recognition of his personal contribution to reconstruction in the wake of a devastating 1988 earthquake. In 2008 the Armenian government awarded him the highest Armenian decoration - National Hero.
He mentioned that the population of Crimea willfully decided to join Russia, what were they supposed to do then? Say no?
“Let’s first get determined about the status of Karabakh and then discuss this question. If it is an Armenian land we will be glad to see it in the form of the EEU. For now that question is suspended. For instance, that same Transnistria… they cannot become a member in the EEU because you know the rules, if certain territorial or border issues are not solved then membership cannot take place. Thus, when Karabakh conflict is solved we will be happy for its membership. And the way it will be solved – as a separate state, or in the form of Armenia, life will show,” Ryzhkov said.
Addressing the question concerning the controversial statements of Dmitry Kiselev, a host of a prime-time Sunday program on State Russian TV known as one of the top mouthpieces of the Kremlin, who at a meeting with a group of Armenian lawmakers last summer regretted that the Russian language is fading away in Armenia, calling for its official status, Ryzhkov said that official Moscow never raised the question of Russian becoming Armenia’s state language. “Frankly speaking, this is the first time I hear about forceful steps toward the status of the Russian language, moreover, Russian being granted the status of the second state language. Armenia has a state language; besides, it is a mono-ethnic state. Someone might have said something. Do not listen to them,” Ryzhkov said.
Ryzhkov, 85, is considered a pro-Armenian politician, in the international arena he stands out by his pro-Armenian speeches, valuing the necessity of the Armenian-Russian strategy. In Gyumri there is a Ryzhkov memorial board with his face carved on it, in Spitak – his statue in recognition of his personal contribution to reconstruction in the wake of a devastating 1988 earthquake. In 2008 the Armenian government awarded him the highest Armenian decoration - National Hero.
Russian-Armenian Military Drill Targets ‘Ottomania’
Mikael Grigorian, an Armenian army general commanding the drills, stressed that drones have never been used in Russian-Armenian war games held in the past. “There were many novelties today and you probably saw them,” told reporters at the vast Alagyaz shooting range near the northern slopes of Mount Aragats.
“We are using here rocket artillery on a full scale. All artillery detachments are involved right now,” Pavel Aleksyuk, the deputy commander of the Russian base, said for his part.
The annual five-day exercises got underway on Wednesday, involving more than 1,500 Russian and Armenian soldiers and around 300 artillery systems, tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles. Russian MiG-29 fighter jets stationed in Yerevan were also due to be used in the joint maneuvers stemming from Armenia’s military alliance with Russia. Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian has repeatedly said that Armenia hosts Russian troops on its territory primarily because of a perceived security threat from Turkey, rather than Azerbaijan. “With the existing forces at our disposal, we not only can defend ourselves against Azerbaijan but also take, if need be, preemptive, counteroffensive or other measures,” Ohanian said in February.
From Yerevan’s perspective, the Russian military presence precludes Turkey’s direct military intervention on Azerbaijan’s side in the event of another full-scale war for Nagorno-Karabakh. A Russian-Armenian agreement signed in 2010 extended that presence until 2044 and upgraded the security mandate of the Russian base. Moscow has since beefed up the base numbering between 4,000 and 5,000 soldiers with heavy weaponry. It is due to deploy about two dozen combat helicopters in Armenia late this year.
Russia Boosting Air Defenses With Expansion of Bases in Armenia, Belarus and Central Asia
As
Moscow moves to bolster its military presence
in ex-Soviet allied states, the head of the Russian air force announced
that Russia will establish an airbase for fighter jets in eastern
Belarus in 2016, state media outlets reported Wednesday. Colonel General
Viktor Bondarev also said Moscow planned to expand its airbases
in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.
The three nations are members of a loose Russia-dominated
security alliance known as the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO), which has accelerated efforts to create a unified air defense
network as the Ukraine crisis reenergizes the West's military
powerhouse, NATO. The new airbase in the Belarusian city of Babruysk will
expand Russia's already strong air presence in Belarus. The base will be
home to a wing of Russian Su-27 fighter jets, news agency TASS
reported.
Even before the conflict in Ukraine, Russia under President
Vladimir Putin had been making major efforts to re-establish its
historical military presence in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Arctic
and beyond. Negotiations with Vietnam, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua
to establish bases for Russian strategic bombers are ongoing.
"By 2020 ... 47 airfields, including in Crimea in the
Arctic, will be renovated under the state armaments program," Bondarev
was quoted as saying by Interfax. By 2025, he added, the Russian air
force will have restored and reopened over 100 military airbases.
Last year, a unit of Russian fighter jets were deployed to a
Belarussian airbase in Baranovichi as part of the countries' integrated
regional air defense network. Russia also announced that it would
station fighter jets at a Russian-built airbase in the Belarussian city
of Lida, near the country's border with Poland and Lithuania. Russian defense officials have characterized these
deployments as a response to NATO's beefed-up air patrols in the Baltics
and Poland.
Bondarev was also quoted by RIA Novosti as saying
on Wednesday that Moscow is negotiating with Bishkek to reconstruct
the Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan, which is a home for Russian fighter jets
under CSTO auspices. While the base is usable, further construction is
needed to support Russian strategic bombers, he said. Bondarev said similar work will be done on an airbase
in Armenia, the Soviet-era Erebuni base, which is already home
to Russian MiG-29 fighter aircraft.
Russian Troops Hold Large-Scale Drills in Armenia
Around
3,000 Russian troops stationed in Armenia have begun weeklong
military exercises involving hundreds of tanks and artillery systems as
well as warplanes. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, the main
purpose of the
unusually large-scale exercises is to “test the combat readiness” of the
Russian military base in Armenia in cases of “the highest state of
alert.” A statement released by the ministry’s Southern Military
District
late last week said that artillery units involved in the war games will
fire as many as 30,000 shells at two Armenian shooting ranges. The
participating troops will also be backed up by Russian MiG-29 fighter
jets based at a military airfield in Yerevan, it said. The statement
also reported a more than fourfold increase this year
in “the number of exercises and use of live ammunition” by the Russian
base headquartered in Armenia’s second largest city of Gyumri. Moscow
has reinforced the base with more modern military hardware in
recent years. Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected it at the start
of a state visit to Armenia last December. The latest exercises got
underway on Monday more than a month after
some 1,500 Armenian and Russian soldiers simulated joint military
operations against an imaginary common enemy dubbed “Ottomania” by their
commanders, a clear reference to Turkey. Those annual drills also
involved heavy artillery, tanks and MiG-29 jets.
Source:http://asbarez.com/127830/russian-troops-hold-large-scale-drills-in-armenia
Over 100 warplanes take part in former Soviet states air defense drills
Source: http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/755473
Russia intensifies battle training in military base in Armenia
Russia
declared Monday that it will significantly intensify battle
training for military personnel stationed in a military base in Armenia
ahead of a large-scale military exercise scheduled for Oct. 13-19. About
3,000 military personnel and 500 units will participate in
the war game on military doctrines in the South Caucasus. Russian MiG-29
fighters will also be deployed in the drill. The Russian military
personnel will march about 1,000 kilometers
in different types of armored and automotive vehicles. They are ordered
to fire more than 30,000 artillery shells and 300,000 shots from
automatic guns and large-caliber machine guns. The main purpose of the
military exercise is to check the combat readiness of the army. The
Russian base in Armenia, known as the Russian 102nd Military
Base, is located in the northwest city of Gyumri. On Aug. 20, 2010,
Russia and Armenia extended the contract on the base till 2044.
Source: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=246443
Russian expert: Armenia should not be concerned about Russian-Azeri arms deals
Source: http://www.arminfo.am
CSTO Secretary General visits Armenian-Azerbaijani state border zone for the first time
Accompanied by Defense Minister of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan and First Deputy Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Nikolay Bordyuzha visited today the military bases, familiarized with the daily life of the Armenian soldiers who implement military duty at southwestern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border. Nikolay Bordyuzha has arrived in Armenia on a working visit. In a briefing with mass media representatives, Nikolay Bordyuzha referred to the situation at the borderline. He noted that the general situation is satisfying and the goal of his visit is to make a corresponding report on the operative situation at the contact line. This was Nikolay Bordyuzha s first visit to the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border zone. Welcoming this step, Seyran Ohanyan noted that similar visits one more time show that CSTO is interested in the situation of the CSTO member states. Defense Minister of Armenia stressed that these visits enable to form general views on the situation for determining the further steps.
Source: http://armenpress.am/eng/news/779211...zhanskoiy.html
Over 130 companies to be presented at EXPO-RUSSIA ARMENIA 2014
Over
130 companies will participate in EXPO-RUSSIA ARMENIA 2014 to be held
at Yerevan Expo o October 22-24, director of the exhibition Svetlana
Zabelina said. The exhibition will cover energy, engineering,
metallurgy, construction, transport, telecommunications, insurance,
agriculture, forestry, industry, medicine, education, mining and food
industries, Zabelina said. Russia’s trade representative to Armenia
Andrey Babko said participants will contribute to a complex business
mission during the exhibition. The mission gives entrepreneurs from
Russia and Armenia a chance to meet each other and to negotiate, which
is now even more important bearing in mind Armenia’s accession to the
EEU, Babko said.
It
will be an achievement even if a fifth of the contacts will lead to a
success, according to the trade representative. Armenia has been a
center for science, innovations and inventions, and can become a
transport and logistics center within the Customs Union on the way to
Western Asia and Iran, Babko said. Head of Multy Group management board
Sergey Arustamyan, in his turn, said the exhibition will showcase
Armenia’s economic sectors closely tied with Russia, including
metallurgy, energy, transport and telecommunications. The exhibition
will help develop these fields in both countries, he said. Exhibitions
stands are expected from regions of the Russian Federation such as
Tatarstan and Chuvashia, Krasnoyarsk and Stavropol, Novosibirsk, Rostov,
Samara, Smolensk, Kirov and Volgograd.
A
conference of prospects for Russia-Armenia expanded cooperation,
presentations from the Russian regions, round-table discussions at
Armenian ministries will be held as part of the event. The event is
held by Zarubej-Expo (Russia) and Multy Group (Armenia) under auspices
of Russia’s Chamber of Industry and Trade, supported by Russia’s State
Duma, the foreign ministry and other agencies, as well as by Armenian
government, the parliament, Russia’s trade office in Armenia, the
Armenian Development Agency and businessmen from both countries.
Source: http://arka.am/en/news/economy
President Sargsyan visits Expo Russia-Armenia 2014 Exhibition
Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan on Thursday visited the 6th Expo
Russia-Armenia 2014 international industrial exhibition being held on
October 22-24 at the Yerevan Expo Exhibition Complex within the grounds
of the Yerevan Scientific Research Institute of Mathematical Machines.
The purpose of the exhibition is to promote economic,
scientific-technical and cultural cooperation between the RA and the RF,
strengthen ties between the two countries, as well as to develop joint
business, trade and economic and investment relationships. According to
the presidential press service, Sargsyan toured pavilions
of Armenian and Russian companies representing, in particular, the
spheres of energy, engineering industry, metallurgy, construction,
transport, telecommunications, agriculture, medicine and pharmaceutics,
education, food and industry, familiarized with their product range,
talked to the participants of the exhibition about their possible
cooperation and development projects.
Source: http://armenianow.com/news/57893/armenia_russia_exhibition_expo_president_sargsyan?
Armenia
can become a scientific center of the entire Eurasian Economic Union,
announced the Trade Representative of Russia in Armenia Andrew Babko,
Armenian News - NEWS.am reports. Speaking on Monday at the press
conference dedicated to the “Russia-Armenia Expro 2014 ” exhibition,
which will be held in Yerevan this week, Babko recalled that in the
Soviet Union Armenia was considered a scientific center and can play
same role in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. Russia is
interested in the research potential, which Armenia had during the
Soviet era, he added. “Russian companies continue to actively cooperate
with Armenia, which is geographically small but economically attractive
state,” Trade Representative of Russia said. “Russia-Armenia Expro
2014 ” exhibition will feature more than 100 Russian and 30 Armenian
companies in various industries, including commerce and services.
Dmitry Medvedev Tours Armenian Pavilion “Golden Autumn 2014” Tasting Cheese and Cognac
Yakunin: Russian Railways considers launching rail link to Armenia
Russian
Railways considers launching railway link through Abkhazia and Georgia
to Armenia, company's president Vladimir Yakunin told haqqin.az. He
said Russia had always supported resuming railway link between Georgia
and Abkhazia. “The contradictions between Georgia and Abkhazia must be
resolved at the political level. As for Russia, it has supported the
restoration of railway,” he said. Yakunin noted that Armenia can join
the railway in the future, and his company considers opening of rail
link through Abkahzia and Georgia to Armenia. “Railway communication
through Abkhazia, which was interrupted for more than twenty years ago,
is critical for neighboring Armenia. But again, this is a political
issue, so the political will of the paties is needed,” Yakunin resumed.
Source: http://news.am/eng/news/235403.html
Former intelligence official welcomes Armenia's joining Eurasian Union
By
joining the Eurasian Economic Union, Armenia will register progress in
economy in 6 - 7 months, former deputy head of the secret service Gurgen
Yeghiazaryan told reporters. According to him, joining the Union well
affect exports, and there will be no losses in agriculture. “I welcome
membership to the Eurasian Union. The export will improve, because
basically, 60 - 70% of the exports falls on agricultural products. The
main secret of exports of agricultural products is the speed. Naturally,
as part of a union, we will not encounter any obstacles,” Yeghiazaryan
said. He suggested the need to consider joining the Union in the context
of improving security. According to Gurgen Yeghiazaryan, we cannot
forget about the constant threat from the Turks. “From this perspective,
joining the Eurasian Economic Union will insure Armenia from attacks of
‘serious reptiles’ in the region,” he added.
Russia Encourages More Food Imports from Armenia
The Russian government has offered to help Armenia increase exports of
agricultural products to Russia after its ban on food imports from the
West, a senior official in Yerevan revealed on Thursday. Deputy Agriculture Minister Robert Makarian showed RFE/RL’s Armenian
service (Azatutyun.am) a letter from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture
citing strong demand for Armenian foodstuffs in Russia and expressing
readiness to help boost their imports.
Makarian said that representatives of some Russian food retailers
have already arrived in Armenia to look into its export potential.
“Since they are now facing a certain shortage of agricultural products
they are now more interested in seeing our products in the Russian
market,” he explained.
The Armenian government has already moved to capitalize on the
anticipated shortage, with Agriculture Minister Sergo Karapetian setting
up a special task force for that purpose last week. The working group
headed by Makarian is tasked with “increasing the volume of agricultural
and food exports and organizing the export process in a coordinated
manner.” The Armenian Ministry of Agriculture publicized the phone
numbers of the group’s members and posted on its website export-related
information for farmers and food-processing companies.
A senior executive from Spayka, an Armenian cargo company
specializing in agricultural exports, agreed on Thursday that the
Russian ban, imposed in retaliation for Western economic sanctions
against Moscow, opened up a “good opportunity” for Armenia. Karen
Baghdasarian said Spayka could triple its shipments to Russia in the
coming months.
“This situation also allows us to diversify agricultural exports from
Armenia given the emerging additional demand,” Baghdasarian told
RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). “For example, we started
exporting mushrooms a few days ago and are also planning large-scale
exports of greens.”
Russia has long been the main market for Armenian fruits, vegetables,
meat and dairy products as well as prepared foodstuffs sold abroad.
Government data put the total volume of these exports to $415 million
last year. The figure is equivalent to 28 percent of the country’s total
export revenue in 2013.
Makarian
acknowledged that Armenia is too small an economy to be able
to substitute for a large part of the food which Russia imported from
the United States and the European Union until recently. But, he said,
it can give a major boost to its struggling agriculture through a sharp
rise in exports. “Our critics should not fear that we might have a food
deficit in our own market,” added the official. Agriculture Minister
Karapetian claimed on August 13 that Armenian food exports to Russian
can be doubled as early as this year.
Source: http://asbarez.com/126175/russia-encourages-more-food-imports-from-armenia/
Source: http://asbarez.com/126175/russia-encourages-more-food-imports-from-armenia/
Putin: Joining the Eurasian Union will improve Armenia's economy
Source: http://armenpress.am/eng/news/779693/joining-eeu-armenia-will-improve-economic-indicators-putin.html
French Ambassador: "Armenia's Future is Promising"
Source: http://news.am/eng/news/235389.html
Armenia to get 1.13% of customs duties from imports of goods to Eurasian Economic Union
Armenia,
when it joins the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), will get
1.13% of the customs duties from imports of goods to the EEU territory,
according to the treaty on Armenia’s accession to the EEU posted on the
website of the Eurasian Economic Commission, an EEU regulatory body. The
share of Belarus will go down to 4.65% from 4.7%; the share of
Kazakhstan will drop to 7.25% from 7.3%, Russia’s share will shrink to
86.97% from 88%. Armenia will be able to use customs duties on some
goods, including
meat and meat products, which are different from rates of the (EEU),
until 2022.
Source: http://en.itar-tass.com/economy/753909
Source: http://en.itar-tass.com/economy/753909
Head of Eurasian Economic Commission: Absence of ground borders between Armenia and EEU countries will not be obstacle
The fact that Armenia does not have ground
borders with other countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will
not be an obstacle for the country’s joining the Union, head of the
Eurasian Economic Commission Viktor Khristenko told the Vesti on
Saturday television programme, TASS reported.
“It is not an issue,” he said. “This problem is, probably, even less than that to deliver goods from the Far East, from Vladivostok, to Moscow inside one country. From the point of view of pricing or logistics. The Eurasian Union means four freedoms - goods, services, capitals, labor force. For the three latter borders are of less and less importance,” he said.
The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the European Union (EU) sooner or later will come to joining efforts and to a “deep partnership” to develop free trade, Khristenko said. “I consider as most necessary a big project of the kind between the Eurasian and the European Unions,” he said commenting on the development of the idea of “free trade zone from Lisbon to Vladivostok.” “I am telling you, if we have a long-term task of the kind, many worries will fade away and simple solutions will be possible.”
He expressed confidence the cool relations between Russia and the EU, which followed the situation in Ukraine, “will go,” though chose not to give any time forecasts.
The Eurasian Economic Union Treaty was signed by the presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus on May 29, 2014. The treaty provides for free movement of commodity, services, capital and labour force within the union. It also envisages that the three countries coordinate or pursue common policy in certain economic sectors. The Eurasian Economic Union is seen as a tool to strengthen economies of its member states and to bring them closer together, moreover, such closer integration will add to their competitive edge on the global market. It will begin functioning on January 1, 2015.
Source: http://www.panorama.am/en/interviews/2014/10/11/armenia-eaec-khristenko/
“It is not an issue,” he said. “This problem is, probably, even less than that to deliver goods from the Far East, from Vladivostok, to Moscow inside one country. From the point of view of pricing or logistics. The Eurasian Union means four freedoms - goods, services, capitals, labor force. For the three latter borders are of less and less importance,” he said.
The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the European Union (EU) sooner or later will come to joining efforts and to a “deep partnership” to develop free trade, Khristenko said. “I consider as most necessary a big project of the kind between the Eurasian and the European Unions,” he said commenting on the development of the idea of “free trade zone from Lisbon to Vladivostok.” “I am telling you, if we have a long-term task of the kind, many worries will fade away and simple solutions will be possible.”
He expressed confidence the cool relations between Russia and the EU, which followed the situation in Ukraine, “will go,” though chose not to give any time forecasts.
The Eurasian Economic Union Treaty was signed by the presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus on May 29, 2014. The treaty provides for free movement of commodity, services, capital and labour force within the union. It also envisages that the three countries coordinate or pursue common policy in certain economic sectors. The Eurasian Economic Union is seen as a tool to strengthen economies of its member states and to bring them closer together, moreover, such closer integration will add to their competitive edge on the global market. It will begin functioning on January 1, 2015.
Source: http://www.panorama.am/en/interviews/2014/10/11/armenia-eaec-khristenko/
Russia Cancels Export Duties for Gas and Diamonds to Armenia
Russia
and Armenia on Monday signed an intergovernmental agreement to
cancel export duties for supplies of natural gas, oil products and
diamonds to the South Caucasus nation. Russian President Vladimir Putin
signed the deal with his Armenian
counterpart, Serzh Sargsyan, during a high-level visit to the country.
Armenia decided in September to join the Moscow-led Customs Union of
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. A roadmap on Yerevan’s admission is to
be signed later in December.
Sargsyan told journalists on Monday that his country would take the required steps to join the union as soon as possible, and Putin praised Armenia for its efforts. Reuters reported that some 500 people went out to the Armenian capital’s streets on Monday to protest the country’s plans to join the union. Gazeta.ru reported that more than 100 protesters were detained. The protests followed anti-government demonstrations in Ukraine, which last week halted plans to sign key agreements with the European Union in favor of stronger economic ties with Russia.
Western critics have accused the Kremlin of pressuring former Soviet states to give up their attempts to closer integrate with the European Union. Russia has denied the accusations. Russia and Armenia have agreed that the gas price for Armenia would be cut down to $189 per 1,000 cubic meters, Putin told journalists in Yerevan on Monday. Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said earlier that the end price for Russian gas including customs duties was $270 per 1,000 cubic meters. The two countries also signed a contract to increase Russian gas deliveries.
Russian energy giant Gazprom will supply up to 2.5 billion cubic
meters of gas to Armenia each year from 2014 to 2018, in line with the
deal. Last year Gazprom supplied 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas to
Armenia.
Putin
thanked Armenia’s leadership for creating favorable conditions
for Russian business there and said he hoped that bilateral trade this
year would exceed last year’s $1.2 billion. The Russian president
stressed that Russia remained Armenia’s leading
trade and economic partner in terms of both trade and investment. In
turn, Sargsyan pledged to do everything to “expand the positive
results reached in the recent years” in bilateral collaboration.
An
intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in nuclear safety, a
plan of action for economic collaboration and other deals were also
signed following talks between the two presidents. Prior to the talks,
Putin visited a Russian military base in the city of Gyumri.
President: Armenia can become bridge to Eurasian Union for EU business
Armenia
can become a bridge to the Eurasian Economic Union for EU business,
President Serzh Sargsyan said during the opening of Armenian-Greek
business forum in Yerevan. The Greek companies can be interested in the
market of the Eurasian Economic Union that Armenia is going to join in
the near future, he explained. Meanwhile, Armenia is interested in
joint tourism programs with the Greek partners, that traditionally have
experience in this field. “If we can work with Greek companies, Armenia
will receive great benefits, and entrepreneurs from both sides will
have profitable business. In Armenia, we register a significant growth
in tourism, therefore cooperation can yield serious results,” President
added.
Source: http://news.am/eng/news/231570.html
Source: http://news.am/eng/news/231570.html
Iran may become a new member of the Eurasian Economic Union
Iran may become a new member
of the Eurasian Economic Union, say experts after a meeting between
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Kazakh President Nursultan
Nazarbayev. The two leaders discussed prospects of cooperation of the
Customs Union and Iran.
Rouhani
started his tour around CIS countries in Kazakhstan. On Wednesday he
will visit Tajikistan, where he will take part in the summit of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on September 11-12 as an
observer. Rouhani will make a state visit to Russia and Azerbaijan in
September.
Tehran filed a
bid to join the SCO. Kazakhstan insisted that countries under
international sanctions should not get membership in the SCO. Just a
little later, Kazakhstan was the one to stimulate international talks
for the Iranian nuclear program. The situation started changing after
that. Alexander Sobyanin, the head of the strategic planning service of
the Border Cooperation Association, told Vestnik Kavkaza that Russia,
China or any other country were opposed to Iran’s membership in the SCO.
Rouhani
has a different goal to visit Central Asia, Iran is extricating itself
from isolation and wants to form new partnership relations. No wonder
Tehran chose Russia and CIS states, they are opposed to anti-Iranian
sanctions.
“Lately, the
situation in world policy has changed. We see a rearrangement of
priorities and relations. Russia is distancing itself from the West. At
the same time, Iran has gained more opportunities and will make full use
of them. Economic, first of all, trade relations between Iran and
Central Asia have tendencies for development. Considering that the
struggle of the “giants” for influence in Central Asia made Iran a
secondary subject in the region. Besides, because of harsh sanctions, it
could not propose credits, investments or technologies to the countries
of the region. Because of that, its role in Central Asia was abated.
Now, when the situation is changing, the visit of President Rouhani is
expected to improve relations between Iran and the countries of the
region. Its relations with Russia are on the rise,” Lana Ravandi-Fadai, a
senior scientist of the RAS Institute for Oriental Studies, told
Vestnik Kavkaza.
Notably,
besides problems of bilateral cooperation, Iran expressed interest in
Nursultan Nazarbayev’s proposal to join the Customs Union. “We have
discussed issues of easing banking contacts, intensification of other
ties. We have considered prospects of cooperation between the Customs
Union and Iran,” Hassan Rouhani said at a briefing with journalists.
In
2013, Tehran started talks about joining the Eurasian Economic Union
(EaEU). The opportunity was discussed by the authorities of Iran and the
leaders of the EaEU. In principle, Tehran may join the integration
association as a “donor,” because it has already proven itself as a
reliable investor in Tajikistan, where it has realized several major
projects: construction of the Sangtuda-2 Dam worth 220 million dollars,
the Anzob Tunnel connecting Dushanbe and Khujand. Realization of several
other projects is at the preparatory stage.
“For
the first time in history, Iran is changing its role from a complicated
partner to a strategic ally. Maybe Iran will be a reliable partner of
Russia in the Greater Middle East,” says Sobyanin. The expert reminded
that Belarus was cooperating with Iran in machine engineering and
petrochemistry. In particular, Tehran gives Belarusneft territories for
development on oil fields. Iran is selling Russia about 500,000 barrels
of oil a day in exchange for equipment and products. The deal between
the two states may be worth 20 billion dollars. “It appears that the
Eurasian triplet is forming a strategic partnership with Iran in
different sectors, without hobbling each other, on the contrary,
intensifying cooperation. Steps made by EaEU states in cooperation with
Iran are viewed as more important and significant than the pace of
moving towards fully unblocking Iran,” assumes Sobyanin.
Azerbaijan
plays a special role in extricating Iran from isolation. After the
visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Tehran, the two countries
formed confident relations that will bring ties between Baku and Tehran
to a new level.
The
sides have appointed chairmen for the bilateral intergovernmental
commission that had been idle for a long time, agreed to cooperate in
construction and exploitation of the Ordubad and the Marazad
hydro-electric power plants on the River Araz, a tributary of the Kura.
The Defense Ministers of the two states, Hossein Dehghani and Zakir
Gasanov, discussed military cooperation in Tehran. The pace of improving
relations is so fast that the sides may find a consensus on the status
of the Caspian Sea, according to Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen
Pak Ayin.
“Azerbaijan
has its own agenda associated with Iran and has its own national
interests. It is, first of all, regional security. Iran is a large
regional country, the attitude of whom towards the Karabakh settlement
and other threats in the region is very important. Secondly, Baku has
problems with energy resources of the Caspian, this requires
negotiations. Thirdly, future plans related to the North-South railway
corridor involving Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia have been developed. In
principle, if Iran frees itself from the sanctions of the Western
countries, there are no obstacles for realization of serious projects,
and Azerbaijan is interested in that. It would be abnormal for Iran to
stay in it in the light of intensifying dialogue between Azerbaijan and
Russia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkey,” supposes Asim Musabekov, a member
of the Azerbaijani parliament and political analyst.
Source: http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/economy/59821.html
Since
its independence, Armenia’s foreign policy has been balanced between
the different systems and interests of the powerful stakeholders of the
region, as opposed to drawing divisive lines. President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan stated this in an interview to The New York Times.
Source:http://armenpress.am/eng/news/781321
Source: http://www.arminfo.info
Iran to use Armenia as transit to EEU countries
By
the invitation of the First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of
Iran Eshaq Jahangiri Kouhshahi, the Prime Minister of the Republic of
Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan has left for Iran. Iran has planned to build a
hydropower plant in Armenia in a bid to execute previous bilateral
agreements, First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said on Monday.
Armenpress
reports, citing IRNA that he made the announcement in a joint press
conference with the visiting Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan.
The two neighboring countries aim to establish a joint commission to
facilitate promotion of bilateral ties, Jahangiri added. He referred to
the current 300 million dollars volume of trade exchange between Tehran
and Yerevan and called for it increase. Iran is keen to use Armenia's
soil as a transit route for export of goods to Russia, the official
said. Armenian prime minister arrived in Tehran on Monday morning to
discuss latest regional and international developments with Iran's high
ranking officials. Bilateral topics, especially energy issues are slated
to be discussed during the two-day visit of the Armenian premier. Iran
and Armenia have taken major strides towards widening and deepening of
their relations in recent years, particularly in the economic sector.
Armenia will be able to become important link for business communities of EEU and Western countries
“While
Armenia is a member of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty
Organization), Armenia has simultaneously developed enhanced cooperation
with NATO and participates in peacekeeping missions which contribute to
international peace and security. Our country has developed and
continues to develop strategic allied relations with the Russian
Federation at the same time as consistently promoting a European agenda.
Today we remain committed to that principle. Armenia has made a
decision to join the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) taking into account
our national, economic and geopolitical interests. However, as I have
stated in my speeches and interviews on several occasions, this has not
been done at the expense of our relations with the West,” said Serzh
Sargsyan
As
he noted, this is expressed through the active efforts to consistently
advance the relations with separate European countries and the EU as a
whole, as well as with the west in general; these relations form some of
the essential components of our country’s prosperity.
“The
Armenia-EU joint declaration from November 2013 reaffirmed our mutual
commitment to develop and strengthen comprehensive cooperation. We have
agreed upon and applied visa facilitation mechanisms that are among the
tangible outcomes of our partnership. We are committed to continuing our
efforts toward seeking effective cooperation mechanisms with the EU.
Thanks to EU and Western assistance, our country has carried out
important reforms in the spheres of democracy, human rights, rule of law
and liberalization of the economy. We clearly realize that these
reforms are not aimed at integration in this or that institution. First
of all, these reforms are carried out for the benefit of our country and
our people. I am sure that our Western partners share this view and
will continue their efficient support to the democratic reforms in our
country. At the same time I cannot but mention that in the 21st
century, when intense globalization is in progress, when the world is
moving toward the establishment of common economic zones, when
interstate economic borders lose their importance, when free trade areas
are established among different continents, to speak about
confrontation between different integration structures makes no sense.
In this regard, through joining the EEU, Armenia will be able to become
an important link for the business communities of the EEU and Western
countries. In this context, we are concerned by the recent tensions
between the West and Russia. We are interested in the reconciliation of
discrepancies between our partners because small countries like Armenia
are very sensitive to such ups and downs,” stated the President of
Armenia.
Source:http://armenpress.am/eng/news/781321
China is determined to launch active cooperation with Customs Union
China is determined to launch active cooperation with the Customs Union, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang said during a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Tigran Sargsyan on September 10. The press service of the Armenian Government reports that the governmental delegation headed by Tigran Sargsyan left for China on September 9 to participate in the session of the World Economic Forum. The Armenian and Chinese premiers discussed the prospects for regional cooperation. Sargsyan presented Armenia's decision to join the Customs Union. "China understands Armenia's desire to take an active part in the regional processes and China is also determined to launch active cooperation with the Customs Union", Li Keqiang said. He also expressed China's willingness to increase investments in Armenia's economy and to import Armenian commodities. "We want to see Armenian brandy, jewelry and precious stones on the Chinese market", he said. Sargsyan pointed out the significance of development of tourism and establishment of direct air service between Armenia and China. As regards the export of Armenian commodities, the Armenian premier said that Armenian producers increase the output of Armenian brandies and wine. He added that Armenia also produces cigarettes and asked his Chinese counterpart to promote the sales of these goods on the Chinese market. Sargsyan also called on the Chinese companies to take part in the free trade zone opened in Armenia. To recall, on September 3 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said that Armenia had made a decision to join the Russia-led Customs Union.
Source: http://www.arminfo.info
Many opportunities in store for India and Eurasian Economic Union
The pharmaceutical and oil and gas industries would be the biggest
beneficiaries from a comprehensive economic partnership agreement
between India and the Union. The North-South corridor is also likely to
get a fresh lease of life. The signing
of Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) agreement has created waves across the world
with protagonists and detractors of the union speculating its future. The
events prior to the signing of the EEU agreement, particularly the crisis in
Ukraine, have made the debate intense.
Russian
President, Vladimir Putin underlined the core principle of the union: “Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan have elevated their cooperation to a fundamentally new
level, creating a common market with free movement of goods, services, capital
and workforce.” He further pointed out, “The ‘troika’ states will conduct a
coordinated policy in the energy sector, industry, agriculture and transport.”
The
detractors perceive the EEU as a Russian ploy to increase its dominance in the
former Soviet space. Some of them even go to the extent to see EEU as a Russian
manoeuvre to resurrect the Soviet Union. Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry
Medvedev, dispelled such speculations. He categorically stated, in one of his
interviews last August, “It is not a revival of the Soviet Union… Who needs to
revive the Soviet Union?”
The EEU
with its operationalization in the beginning of the next year will create a
market of 170 million people, with a combined annual GDP of $2.7 trillion and a
quarter of the world energy resources. As Putin pointed out, the Union
will be a hydrocarbon treasury, possessing a fifth of all global natural gas
resources and 15 percent of all oil reserves. It will be beneficial particularly
for the former Soviet countries which have witnessed low growth, huge
unemployment and surplus of labour. Russia may benefit from the surplus labour
of the Central Asian countries.
CEPA with India
Many
countries outside the post-Soviet space have expressed an interest to sign
preferential trading arrangements with EEU. Prominent among them are India,
Israel, Vietnam and New Zealand. Putin
stated that an agreement was reached to set up “expert-level groups to work out
preferential trade regimes with Israel and India.” India will be interested to have
a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) with EEU. It has signed
CEPA with countries like South Korea, under which both the countries cut a
large percentage of tariff on goods from each other.
India’s gain from a CEPA with EEU
will be mutual beneficial. As pointed out earlier, Putin has already signalled a
partnership of EEU with India. At one to one level, India enjoys friendly relations
with all the current members. Recently Kazakhstan invited India’s ONGC Videsh
Ltd. to explore its Abai bloc for energy resources. India also recently signed
a deal with Belarus to supply 500 tonnes of potash fertilizer. Its relations
with prospective members like Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are also smooth. With
Russia supporting a CEPA with India, there will likely be least objection. As
EEU is going to have common pharmaceutical zone by 2015, India will have
immense leverage if a CEPA is signed. India is a leader in pharmaceuticals and
a preferential arrangement will be mutually beneficial.
Other areas of cooperation will be
energy and transport. The much hyped North-South transport corridor, when
realized, will pass through much of the EEU – a CEPA will offer India a hassle
free and preferential treatment to import and export goods through the
corridor. Both India and EEU will avoid the long detour for trade if this
corridor is operationalized. Add energy to this corridor idea, CEPA appears
more meaningful. The Silk Road that passes from India’s north through Eurasia
in all directions can also be revived and explored for multilateral trade
between EEU and India.
Dr. Debidatta Aurobinda Mahapatra is an Indian
commentator. His areas of interests include conflict, terrorism, peace and
development, South Asia, and strategic aspects of Eurasian politics.
Source: http://in.rbth.com/world/2014/06/03
Source: http://in.rbth.com/world/2014/06/03
Armenia to Get $100M From Regional Fund for North-South Highway
Armenia will get $100 million from a Eurasian Economic Community anti-crisis fund, a Eurasian Development Bank official said Wednesday. The 556-km corridor, designed to improve transport links between Europe, the Caucasus and Asia, in particular between Eastern Europe and western Asia, is to be completed by 2017. In January 2010, the Armenian government approved an investment program for the North-South transport corridor, and a framework finance agreement between Armenia and the Asian Development Bank worth a total of $500 million. Wednesday’s decision came after discussions between the Eurasian Development Bank’s Deputy President Sergei Shatalov and Armenia’s Transport and Communications Minister Gagik Belaryan, the ministry’s press service told RIA Novosti.
Iranian, Russian, Chinese companies interested in participating in construction of Armenia-Iran railway
Iranian,
Russian and Chinese companies are interested in
participation in the construction of the Armenian section of the
Armenia-Iran railway, Secretary of Armenian National Security Council
Arthur Baghdasaryan told journalists on Friday, ARKA agency reported.
"Iran has already expressed its readiness to finance construction of a
railway in its territory and through Armenia. Various Iranian, Russian
and Chinese companies are interested in the project," Baghdasaryan said.
The Secretary of the Security Council stressed that the development of railway transport has strategic importance for Armenia and the construction of an Armenia-Iran route is very ambitious, but still an important state program. Baghdasaryan reminded that currently, Iran is building modern railway junctions which will link it with India, China, and Central Asia. Subsequently, ties with Iran mean a large diversification of destinations for Armenia.
The North-South (Iran-Armenia) railway will give opportunity to Armenia to use an alternative way of transporting energy resources and other goods and getting access to the external world. In November, 2011, then Minister of transportation and Communication Manuk Vardanyan said that the feasibility study of the project is ready, the group led by Deputy Transport Ministers of Armenia, Iran and Russia worked on it.
According to experts, around $1.7-2.8 billion is required for the implementation of the project. Currently, the construction of the railway is being discussed with Russia, Iran and China. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank expressed interest in this project. Currently, railway operations involve only Armenia and Georgia. A railway to Iran, which was declared a priority project, will give opportunity to open an alternative way for transporting energy resources and other goods.
Source: http://en.trend.az/regions/scaucasus/armenia/2186987.html
The Secretary of the Security Council stressed that the development of railway transport has strategic importance for Armenia and the construction of an Armenia-Iran route is very ambitious, but still an important state program. Baghdasaryan reminded that currently, Iran is building modern railway junctions which will link it with India, China, and Central Asia. Subsequently, ties with Iran mean a large diversification of destinations for Armenia.
The North-South (Iran-Armenia) railway will give opportunity to Armenia to use an alternative way of transporting energy resources and other goods and getting access to the external world. In November, 2011, then Minister of transportation and Communication Manuk Vardanyan said that the feasibility study of the project is ready, the group led by Deputy Transport Ministers of Armenia, Iran and Russia worked on it.
According to experts, around $1.7-2.8 billion is required for the implementation of the project. Currently, the construction of the railway is being discussed with Russia, Iran and China. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank expressed interest in this project. Currently, railway operations involve only Armenia and Georgia. A railway to Iran, which was declared a priority project, will give opportunity to open an alternative way for transporting energy resources and other goods.
Source: http://en.trend.az/regions/scaucasus/armenia/2186987.html
Russia to lift 30% customs duty for gas supplies to Armenia
Minister
of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan dispelled
the public’s doubts over the deal on Russian gas price hike for Armenia.
The stir rose following Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s statement that
no price increase agreement actually exists.Earlier, the Armenian National Congress (ANC) opposition party’s parliamentary group secretary Aram Manukyan expressed discontent over
inability to procure the text of the gas agreement. As Movsisyan
noted, commenting on the above, Manukyan was given the copy of the
agreement, as instructed by Prime Minister, ARKA reported.
Also, Russia is ready to lift a 30 percent customs duty on export of natural gas to Armenia, Movsisyan said. Currently Armenia pays $270 for one thousand cubic meters of Russian gas supplied to the country across Georgia. Of that amount $189 dollars is the price of gas, and the rest is the 30% customs duty.
"We have done quite a lot of work with the Russian side. After the September 3 announcement on Armenia’s joining the Russia-led Customs Union, the gas delivery contract between the two governments will be revised and simplified. This means the Russian side will not apply customs duty on gas exports to Armenia. We hope that a revised contract will be signed before the end of this year," Movsisyan said.
According to the minister, the price of gas for Armenia will be the same as in Russia plus transportation costs. However, Movsisyan said this will not affect the price for local consumers. “Our calculations show that revised contract will not entail a price rise or price drop,” he added.
Also, Russia is ready to lift a 30 percent customs duty on export of natural gas to Armenia, Movsisyan said. Currently Armenia pays $270 for one thousand cubic meters of Russian gas supplied to the country across Georgia. Of that amount $189 dollars is the price of gas, and the rest is the 30% customs duty.
"We have done quite a lot of work with the Russian side. After the September 3 announcement on Armenia’s joining the Russia-led Customs Union, the gas delivery contract between the two governments will be revised and simplified. This means the Russian side will not apply customs duty on gas exports to Armenia. We hope that a revised contract will be signed before the end of this year," Movsisyan said.
According to the minister, the price of gas for Armenia will be the same as in Russia plus transportation costs. However, Movsisyan said this will not affect the price for local consumers. “Our calculations show that revised contract will not entail a price rise or price drop,” he added.
Russia to Expand Military Cooperation With Armenia
Russia
plans to expand its military presence in Armenia, Haykakan Zhamanak
daily said. According to the paper, a staff addition is scheduled at the
Gyumri military base No. 102. Russian military officials with their families - up to 3000 persons –
are expected to arrive for service at the military base. The Armenian
city is getting ready for guests, with several Armenian families to be
relocated to new homes.
At the same time, Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan neither confirmed nor denied the report. Yerevan and Moscow are planning to ratify an important agreement,
envisaging direct purchases from Russian military plants, in the near
future, Hraparak daily said earlier citing sources at parliament.
According to the daily, the deal will provide Armenia with exclusive
rights. “There’s a similar agreement with Belarus, yet it contains some
reservations, which the deal with Armenia does not,” the daily said.
In June 2013, during the visit of the Russian Security Council
Secretary Nikolai Patrushev to Armenia, a military and technical
cooperation agreement was signed with Russia. The agreement stipulates
for each side to supply military products with the same specifications
as for one’s own armed forces. The agreement also enables the supplier
to exert control over the presence of products and their compliance with
the intended use to be described in an additional treaty.
According to another deal, Armenia and Russia will form a joint defense
enterprise as well as the border guards and emergency situation experts
training centers. With Russia’s assistance, Armenia’s defense industry
will launch production of ammunition, armory, as well as form a repair
base for land, air and air defense forces.
Source: http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/170483/
Source: http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/170483/
Armenia Seeks Observer Status in Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Armenia
would like to acquire observer status in the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO), a post-Soviet Eurasian security bloc,
and it will need support from China to get it, Armenian Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan said Tuesday. Sargsyan, on a visit to China, was assured
by his Chinese
counterpart, Li Keqiang, that China would consider the matter with its
partners in the SCO, the Armenian government press service said. Keqiang
said China welcomed Armenia’s wish to become involved in
regional affairs. The SCO will hold a summit meeting in Bishkek,
Kyrgyzstan, on September 13. Founded in 2001, the SCO comprises Russia,
China, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The organization aims to
consolidate efforts to counter terrorism and radicalization among member
countries, and to coordinate work in other areas such as politics and
trade. Iran, Afghanistan, India, Mongolia and Pakistan have observer
status in the organization.
Russian expert: Moscow to have direct border with Armenia via Transcaucasian Highway
“There will be direct border between Russia and Armenia and it is a matter of the near future. Russia will be linked directly to Armenia by means of transport and infrastructure facilities,’ he said, elaborating that this would be achieved through development of Trans-Caucasus transport corridors, which were started back by the Russian Empire and improved by the Soviet Union.
"The main highway that will link the North Caucasus and West Kazakhstan with the South Caucasus is the Trans-Caucasian Highway. Now there is a motor road connecting Russian Vladikavkaz with South Ossetia’s Tskhinvali and stretching further to Armenia. This road should be upgraded for all types of cargo, including heavy combat military machines,” he said, according to Novosti Armenia news agency.
He went on to say that a just solution to the South Ossetian issue would enable Russia a direct access to the South Caucasus, including Armenia. Chernov added that although South Ossetia is recognized by Russia as an independent state, there are big questions regarding its borders. He said the rights of 30,000 South Ossetians driven out from Trialeti, a region bordering the predominantly Armenian-populated Javakheti province in South Georgia, should be restored. According to him, this applies also to Kazbegi region of Georgia, through which the Georgian Military Road runs. The changing of Ossetia’s border is related to development of transport infrastructure, he added.
Thus, he said, Russia would have a direct access to South Caucasus countries, including Armenia. Chernov underlined that neither of Russian transport projects involve military scenarios.
Source: http://arka.am/en/news/politics/russian_expert_says_moscow_to_have_direct_border_with_armenia/
Russia Offers to Subsidize Nuclear Plant
Russia is ready to finance 35 percent of the cost of construction of a
new power unit for Armenia’s nuclear power plant, Vahram Petrosyan, the
secretary of a presidential council on nuclear power safety, said
today. Armenian authorities said they will build a new nuclear power plant
to replace the aging Metsamor plant. The new plant is supposed to
operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility.
Metsamor currently generates some 40 percent of Armenia’s electricity.
But the government has yet to attract funding for the project that was
estimated by a U.S.-funded feasibility study to cost at as much as $5
billion.
“We are looking for new investors. As for Russia, they are willing to participate in the project by funding 35 percent of its cost. The money will be used to purchase the necessary equipment,” Petrosyan said at a news conference after a meeting of the council.
The plant is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. On September 3, Russian president Putin said experts from Russian state nuclear company Rosatom and Armenian experts will work to extend the service life of the Armenian nuclear power plant in Metsamor for another 10 years until 2026. Petrosyan said the extension of the service life of the facility requires at least $150 million. On Wednesday, President Serzh Sarkisian met with the chairman of the presidential Nuclear Energy Safety Council (NESC), Adolf Birkhofer, who has arrived in Armenia to participate in the regular session of the NESC.
The President of Armenia and Chairman of NESC spoke about planned works aimed at the enhancement of the security level of the Metsamor nuclear power plant and its current state. In that regard, the parties stated that the Metsamor plant has the necessary projected level of seismic stability. Serzh Sarkisian and Adolf Birkhofer also spoke about issues related to the future operation of the plant, the construction of a new energy unit, and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including the results of the OSART mission.
After the meeting, President Serzh Sarkisian and Chairman Adolf Birkhofer participated in the session of the NESC. The President began by underscoring that it would be difficult to overestimate the importance of cooperation in the council, considering the special role that nuclear energy plays in ensuring energy security for Armenia. President Sarkisian thanked the IAEA, the governments of the Russian Federation, US, Czech Republic, Great Britain, and Italy, and the European Commission for their assistance. “The Republic of Armenia has been constantly improving its domestic legislation and has been fulfilling, in good faith, her international obligations,” the President said.
The governments of the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation will soon sign an agreement on cooperation in the area of nuclear safety, the President said. The agreement will allow Armenia to:
- develop infrastructure for nuclear safety in preparation for the construction of new energy units based on Russian designs.
- train, re-train and upgrade specialists of nuclear safety, taking into consideration IAEA recommendations.
- expand the framework of cooperation in nuclear energy.
In October 2012, the Governments of the Republic of Armenia and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding pertinent to the energy (including nuclear energy) sector. The document allows the two countries to cooperate more closely in the area of peaceful use of nuclear energy.
President Sarkisian mentioned that a great amount of work has been done with the assistance of the IAEA and international experts towards improving the seismic stability of the Metsamor plant. In 2012, during routine, preventive renovations, supporting structures were installed to enhance the seismic stability of the main structures and components of the plant, which are pivotal from a safety point of view. In 2013, the IAEA OSART sent a mission to Armenia that registered sufficient progress but also raised concerns related, particularly, to the management of radioactive waste. The President said experts have already started to develop a strategy on safe management of radioactive waste with the technical assistance of the European Union.
“Armenia reiterates her intention to develop nuclear energy which has a special place in the country’s energy development program. Only nuclear power can allow us to maintain the proper level of the country’s energy security and independence,” President Sargsyan stressed in his remarks.
Source: http://asbarez.com/115886/russia-offers-to-subsidize-nuclear-plant/
“We are looking for new investors. As for Russia, they are willing to participate in the project by funding 35 percent of its cost. The money will be used to purchase the necessary equipment,” Petrosyan said at a news conference after a meeting of the council.
The plant is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. On September 3, Russian president Putin said experts from Russian state nuclear company Rosatom and Armenian experts will work to extend the service life of the Armenian nuclear power plant in Metsamor for another 10 years until 2026. Petrosyan said the extension of the service life of the facility requires at least $150 million. On Wednesday, President Serzh Sarkisian met with the chairman of the presidential Nuclear Energy Safety Council (NESC), Adolf Birkhofer, who has arrived in Armenia to participate in the regular session of the NESC.
The President of Armenia and Chairman of NESC spoke about planned works aimed at the enhancement of the security level of the Metsamor nuclear power plant and its current state. In that regard, the parties stated that the Metsamor plant has the necessary projected level of seismic stability. Serzh Sarkisian and Adolf Birkhofer also spoke about issues related to the future operation of the plant, the construction of a new energy unit, and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including the results of the OSART mission.
After the meeting, President Serzh Sarkisian and Chairman Adolf Birkhofer participated in the session of the NESC. The President began by underscoring that it would be difficult to overestimate the importance of cooperation in the council, considering the special role that nuclear energy plays in ensuring energy security for Armenia. President Sarkisian thanked the IAEA, the governments of the Russian Federation, US, Czech Republic, Great Britain, and Italy, and the European Commission for their assistance. “The Republic of Armenia has been constantly improving its domestic legislation and has been fulfilling, in good faith, her international obligations,” the President said.
The governments of the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation will soon sign an agreement on cooperation in the area of nuclear safety, the President said. The agreement will allow Armenia to:
- develop infrastructure for nuclear safety in preparation for the construction of new energy units based on Russian designs.
- train, re-train and upgrade specialists of nuclear safety, taking into consideration IAEA recommendations.
- expand the framework of cooperation in nuclear energy.
In October 2012, the Governments of the Republic of Armenia and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding pertinent to the energy (including nuclear energy) sector. The document allows the two countries to cooperate more closely in the area of peaceful use of nuclear energy.
President Sarkisian mentioned that a great amount of work has been done with the assistance of the IAEA and international experts towards improving the seismic stability of the Metsamor plant. In 2012, during routine, preventive renovations, supporting structures were installed to enhance the seismic stability of the main structures and components of the plant, which are pivotal from a safety point of view. In 2013, the IAEA OSART sent a mission to Armenia that registered sufficient progress but also raised concerns related, particularly, to the management of radioactive waste. The President said experts have already started to develop a strategy on safe management of radioactive waste with the technical assistance of the European Union.
“Armenia reiterates her intention to develop nuclear energy which has a special place in the country’s energy development program. Only nuclear power can allow us to maintain the proper level of the country’s energy security and independence,” President Sargsyan stressed in his remarks.
Source: http://asbarez.com/115886/russia-offers-to-subsidize-nuclear-plant/
Armenia and Russia may launch the first satellite in three years
Armenia and Russia may launch the first satellite in three years, if
they reach an agreement in 2014, Sergey Savelyev, Deputy Director of
Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, told Regnum. “Russia is ready to help Armenia join the club of space powers,”
Savelyev said, adding that Armenia has a great experience in the field
from Soviet times. He said the Byurakan Observatory in Armenia is actually being revived
with the support of Roscosmos. The observatory has been supplied with
Russia-made telescopes. The Armenian and Russian parties are currently working towards
launching the satellite to the space. “We are working actively in that
direction. Technical studies are now underway,” Sergey Savelyev said.
Russian Colonel: Russian Troops in Gyumri will Retaliate If Azerbaijan Attacks Artsakh
“If Azerbaijan decides to restore jurisdiction over Nagorno-Karabakh by force the [Russian] military base may join in the armed conflict in accordance with the Russian Federation’s obligations within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO),” Ruzinksy told the Russian Defense Ministry’s “Krasnaya Zvezda” newspaper in a recent interview.
Ruzinksy answered a question about the mission of the Russian base headquartered in Armenia’s second largest city of Gyumri. That mission was upgraded by a Russian-Armenian defense agreement signed in 2010. The agreement extended Russia’s basing rights in Armenia until 2044. It also committed Moscow to supplying its South Caucasus ally with more weapons and military hardware.
The Russian base, which numbers between 4,000 and 5,000 soldiers, has since been bolstered with modern weaponry, reportedly including Iskander-M tactical ballistic missiles. The Russian military also plans to deploy combat helicopters there soon. The Russian air force unit in Armenia currently has 16 MiG-29 fighter jets.
Armenian officials and pro-government politicians have claimed before that the 2010 defense pact mandates direct Russian military involvement in the Karabakh conflict if Azerbaijan acts on its threats to reconquer the disputed territory. Russian officials have not explicitly confirmed this in their public statements made until now.
The Russian troops in Armenia hold joint exercises and trainings with Armenian army units on a regular basis. Around a thousand soldiers from the two armies, backed up tanks, helicopters and artillery systems, practiced a joint military operation as recently as in August. According to Ruzinsky, more such war games are planned for next year. “I believe that we need to further develop our field cooperation, if I may put it way,” he said.
The Russian base commander also revealed to “Krasnaya Zvezda” that a group of his senior officers and their Armenian colleagues recently jointly toured “areas of combat engagement.” “We plan to increase such activities next year,” he said without elaborating.
Source:http://asbarez.com/115675/russian-troops-in-gyumri-will-retaliate-if-azerbaijan-attacks/
Nagorno–Karabakh’s
ties with Russia should be as strong as with Armenia, Mikhail
Alexandrov, head of the Caucasus Department of the CIS Institute in
Moscow, told ARKA.
Alexandrov is one of many historians, researchers and political
analysts from Russia and the Caucasus taking part in an international
conference in Moscow dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Gulistan
Treaty The Gulistan Treaty concluded between imperial Russia and Persia
in 1813 as a result of the first Russia-Persian confirmed inclusion of
modern day Azerbaijan, Dagestan and Eastern Georgia into the Russian
Empire.
"Nagorno-Karabakh was the first Armenian state to have joined
Russia. This is recorded in the Gulistan Treaty, and to some extent
Russia is more responsible for Nagorno-Karabakh than the modern-day
Armenia,” Alexandrov said.
According to him, this aspect of the Gulistan Treaty was voiced at the conference, but in modern politics it is not present.
"This is a very important aspect. The treaty defined the role of
Russia as the main foreign power in the region. This is prescribed by
the treaty. This should now be realized by all,” he said.
He added that the treaty laid the basic parameters for the
existence of the Caucasus in the last 200 years, and not only of the
Caucasus, but also parts of Russia's North Caucasus. He said this is why
this treaty is of fundamental importance for the situation that now
exists in the Caucasus and the Caspian region.
He said according to some reports at the conference, the status of
the Caspian Sea is also largely determined by the parameters that were
laid in the Gulistan Treaty. "So, it is quite right to mark the 200th
anniversary of this important event," he said.
The purpose of the conference, he said, is to emphasize the
historical significance of the Gulistan Treaty, and also to consider its
relevance to the current situation in the Caucasus.
He said the historians and researchers are from Russia, Armenia and
Russia’s republic of Dagestan. A representative of the Talysh people is
expected to also make a report.
‘Unfortunately, we do not have scientists from Azerbaijan, but
Azerbaijani reporter has arrived in Moscow to cover this event. In my
opinion, they are even more than Armenian reporters,’ he said.
A debate today at the conference was to discuss the impact of the
Gulistan Treaty on the political development of the Caucasus, including
the Caspian problems, inter-ethnic relations, and the relationship of
the Caucasian states and the influence of the great powers.
- See
more at:
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/nagorno_karabakh_s_ties_with_russia_should_be_as_strong_as_with_armenia_russian_expert_says/#sthash.NeDgjEpa.dpuf
Nagorno–Karabakh’s
ties with Russia should be as strong as with Armenia, Mikhail
Alexandrov, head of the Caucasus Department of the CIS Institute in
Moscow, told ARKA.
Alexandrov is one of many historians, researchers and political
analysts from Russia and the Caucasus taking part in an international
conference in Moscow dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Gulistan
Treaty The Gulistan Treaty concluded between imperial Russia and Persia
in 1813 as a result of the first Russia-Persian confirmed inclusion of
modern day Azerbaijan, Dagestan and Eastern Georgia into the Russian
Empire.
"Nagorno-Karabakh was the first Armenian state to have joined
Russia. This is recorded in the Gulistan Treaty, and to some extent
Russia is more responsible for Nagorno-Karabakh than the modern-day
Armenia,” Alexandrov said.
According to him, this aspect of the Gulistan Treaty was voiced at the conference, but in modern politics it is not present.
"This is a very important aspect. The treaty defined the role of
Russia as the main foreign power in the region. This is prescribed by
the treaty. This should now be realized by all,” he said.
He added that the treaty laid the basic parameters for the
existence of the Caucasus in the last 200 years, and not only of the
Caucasus, but also parts of Russia's North Caucasus. He said this is why
this treaty is of fundamental importance for the situation that now
exists in the Caucasus and the Caspian region.
He said according to some reports at the conference, the status of
the Caspian Sea is also largely determined by the parameters that were
laid in the Gulistan Treaty. "So, it is quite right to mark the 200th
anniversary of this important event," he said.
The purpose of the conference, he said, is to emphasize the
historical significance of the Gulistan Treaty, and also to consider its
relevance to the current situation in the Caucasus.
He said the historians and researchers are from Russia, Armenia and
Russia’s republic of Dagestan. A representative of the Talysh people is
expected to also make a report.
‘Unfortunately, we do not have scientists from Azerbaijan, but
Azerbaijani reporter has arrived in Moscow to cover this event. In my
opinion, they are even more than Armenian reporters,’ he said.
A debate today at the conference was to discuss the impact of the
Gulistan Treaty on the political development of the Caucasus, including
the Caspian problems, inter-ethnic relations, and the relationship of
the Caucasian states and the influence of the great powers.
- See
more at:
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/nagorno_karabakh_s_ties_with_russia_should_be_as_strong_as_with_armenia_russian_expert_says/#sthash.NeDgjEpa.dpuf
Russian Official: Karabakh Has a Place in Customs Union
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic may be eligible to join the Russian-led Customs Union only after settlement of the Karabakh conflict and determination of its status, Viktor Khristenko, head of the Eurasian Economic Commission, said Thursday during a meeting with the Yerevan State University’s professors and students. Along with that, Khristenko stressed that the conflict can’t bar Armenia from joining the Customs Union, and added that membership would even improve things over Nagorno Karabakh.
Khristenko also turned to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s recent remark.
The latter said at his meeting with representatives of CIS countries that Azerbaijani authorities’ opinion should be taken into account before accepting Armenia into the Customs Union, since there are many unsolved problems between the two countries. Khristenko said that Lukashenko has no right to comment on a statement of a sovereign country’s president and added that only the consent of members of the Customs Union is needed to accept a candidate.
In early September, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, made a joint statement announcing that Armenia has decided to join the Customs Union and to take part in the future formation of the Eurasian Union.
Source:http://asbarez.com/116005/karabakh-has-place-in-customs-union-says-russian-official/
Russian Expert: Karabakh’s ties with Russia should be as strong as with Armenia
Nagorno–Karabakh’s ties with Russia should be as strong as with Armenia, Mikhail Alexandrov, head of the Caucasus Department of the CIS Institute in Moscow, told ARKA. Alexandrov is one of many historians, researchers and political analysts from Russia and the Caucasus taking part in an international conference in Moscow dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Gulistan Treaty The Gulistan Treaty concluded between imperial Russia and Persia in 1813 as a result of the first Russia-Persian confirmed inclusion of modern day Azerbaijan, Dagestan and Eastern Georgia into the Russian Empire.
"Nagorno-Karabakh
was the first Armenian state to have joined Russia. This is recorded in
the Gulistan Treaty, and to some extent Russia is more responsible for
Nagorno-Karabakh than the modern-day Armenia,” Alexandrov said.
According to him, this aspect of the Gulistan Treaty was voiced at the
conference, but in modern politics it is not present. "This is a very
important aspect. The treaty defined the role of Russia as the main
foreign power in the region. This is prescribed by the treaty. This
should now be realized by all,” he said. He added that the treaty laid
the basic parameters for the existence of the Caucasus in the last 200
years, and not only of the Caucasus, but also parts of Russia's North
Caucasus.
He
said this is why this treaty is of fundamental importance for the
situation that now exists in the Caucasus and the Caspian region. He
said according to some reports at the conference, the status of the
Caspian Sea is also largely determined by the parameters that were laid
in the Gulistan Treaty. "So, it is quite right to mark the 200th
anniversary of this important event," he said. The purpose of the
conference, he said, is to emphasize the historical significance of the
Gulistan Treaty, and also to consider its relevance to the current
situation in the Caucasus. He said the historians and researchers are
from Russia, Armenia and Russia’s republic of Dagestan. A representative
of the Talysh people is expected to also make a report.
‘Unfortunately,
we do not have scientists from Azerbaijan, but Azerbaijani reporter has
arrived in Moscow to cover this event. In my opinion, they are even
more than Armenian reporters,’ he said. A debate today at the
conference was to discuss the impact of the Gulistan Treaty on the
political development of the Caucasus, including the Caspian problems,
inter-ethnic relations, and the relationship of the Caucasian states and
the influence of the great powers.
Source: http://arka.am/en/news/politics
Nagorno–Karabakh’s
ties with Russia should be as strong as with Armenia, Mikhail
Alexandrov, head of the Caucasus Department of the CIS Institute in
Moscow, told ARKA.
Alexandrov is one of many historians, researchers and political
analysts from Russia and the Caucasus taking part in an international
conference in Moscow dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Gulistan
Treaty The Gulistan Treaty concluded between imperial Russia and Persia
in 1813 as a result of the first Russia-Persian confirmed inclusion of
modern day Azerbaijan, Dagestan and Eastern Georgia into the Russian
Empire.
"Nagorno-Karabakh was the first Armenian state to have joined
Russia. This is recorded in the Gulistan Treaty, and to some extent
Russia is more responsible for Nagorno-Karabakh than the modern-day
Armenia,” Alexandrov said.
According to him, this aspect of the Gulistan Treaty was voiced at the conference, but in modern politics it is not present.
"This is a very important aspect. The treaty defined the role of
Russia as the main foreign power in the region. This is prescribed by
the treaty. This should now be realized by all,” he said.
He added that the treaty laid the basic parameters for the
existence of the Caucasus in the last 200 years, and not only of the
Caucasus, but also parts of Russia's North Caucasus. He said this is why
this treaty is of fundamental importance for the situation that now
exists in the Caucasus and the Caspian region.
He said according to some reports at the conference, the status of
the Caspian Sea is also largely determined by the parameters that were
laid in the Gulistan Treaty. "So, it is quite right to mark the 200th
anniversary of this important event," he said.
The purpose of the conference, he said, is to emphasize the
historical significance of the Gulistan Treaty, and also to consider its
relevance to the current situation in the Caucasus.
He said the historians and researchers are from Russia, Armenia and
Russia’s republic of Dagestan. A representative of the Talysh people is
expected to also make a report.
‘Unfortunately, we do not have scientists from Azerbaijan, but
Azerbaijani reporter has arrived in Moscow to cover this event. In my
opinion, they are even more than Armenian reporters,’ he said.
A debate today at the conference was to discuss the impact of the
Gulistan Treaty on the political development of the Caucasus, including
the Caspian problems, inter-ethnic relations, and the relationship of
the Caucasian states and the influence of the great powers.
- See
more at:
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/nagorno_karabakh_s_ties_with_russia_should_be_as_strong_as_with_armenia_russian_expert_says/#sthash.NeDgjEpa.dpuf
Political Experts: Karabakh to factually join CU after Armenia's accession
After Armenia’s official accession, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic will also be de facto joining the Russia-led Customs Union, experts predict, according to PROVED Russian analytical source. According to Rosbalt news agency
editor Viktor Yadukha, after Yerevan’s integration into the CU, no
customs stations will be installed between Armenia and Karabakh, which
factually suggests the republic’s joining the Union. “However, no
official political decisions for Karabakh’s CU accession will be
passed,” he
said. “Kazakhstan is planning major energy transit through Azerbaijan;
Belarus expects alternative supplies of Azeri fuel, so the two countries
won’t agree to NKR's accession.” Political analyst Andrey Yepifantsev
agreed with the view above, also noting that Karabakh will be trading
with the CU members on special terms, with NKR-made products to be sold
under Made in Armenia label. Valery Korovin, director of the Moscow
Center for Geopolitical Analysis
believes that Armenia's accession to the CU will help resolve the
Karabakh issue in Yerevan's favor. "Azerbaijan's joining the Eurasian
Union may become the only way for Azerbaijan to gain access to
Karabakh," the expert said. "No other possibilities there. So the issue
might as well be considered resolved."
After Ukraine, Russia Beefs Up Military in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan
The 1997 NATO Madrid Summit invited the first countries of the former Warsaw Pact – the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland – to join the alliance. Worse for Moscow was to follow. At the NATO Nov. 2002 Prague Summit, not only were former Warsaw Pact members Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia invited to begin accession talks, but former USSR republics Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well. NATO membership for both Georgia and Ukraine has been discussed at subsequent summits, and at the most recent summit held in Britain Sept. 4-5 NATO’s web page noted that the alliance “increased support to Ukraine in the wake of the crisis with Russia” and “continued condemnation of Russia’s illegal and illegitimate ‘annexation’ of Crimea and destabilization of Eastern Ukraine.”
For better or worse, the Ukrainian crisis, which began late last year, has worsened Russian-Western relations to their lowest level since the 1991 breakup of the USSR. Russia has now belatedly begun to push back, strengthening its bilateral relations with a number of post-Soviet republics and using both the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO – current membership Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, observer states – Afghanistan and Serbia) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO – member states China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; observer states – Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan; Dialogue Partners – Belarus, Sri Lanka and Turkey; guests – the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [ASEAN] and the Commonwealth of Independent States [CIS]) to increase its Eurasian military capabilities.
On Oct. 15 Colonel General Viktor Bondarev, head of the Russian air force, briefed reporters on Moscow’s intention to accelerate efforts to create a CSTO unified air defense network in response to the Ukrainian crisis reenergized NATO.
The plans outlined by Bondarev indicate that NATO’s intensifying of activities on Russia’s periphery rather than cowing the Kremlin are instead leading to “impel Russian foreign policy in directions decidedly not to our liking.” Bondarev stated that within Russia “By 2020…
Outlining plans outside Russia, negotiations with Vietnam, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua to establish bases for Russian strategic bombers continue.
Even before the conflict in Ukraine erupted, in 2013 Russian fighters were deployed to the Belarus Baranovichi airbase as part of the countries’ integrated regional air defense network and Russia announced that it would station fighter aircraft at a Russian-built airbase in Lida, Belarus, near the border with Poland and Lithuania. Bondarev announced that the Russian air force now plans to establish a new airbase in the Belarusian city of Babruysk, which will be home to a squadron of Russian Su-27 fighters. As Belarus shares frontiers with NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, Moscow’s message could hardly be more clear.
It is in Russian aviation deployments further afield in the post-Soviet Caucasus and Central Asia CSTO member states that NATO will be unable to mount substantive countermeasures. In the Caucasus, Russian-Armenian relations have been fairly stable throughout the post-1991 era, with security and economics being the main areas of cooperation. As Azerbaijan has drifted over the last two decades into the Western orbit because of its energy wealth, Armenia has remained firmly allied to Russia, with the two nations emphasizing Russian involvement in negotiating a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh struggle as a co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, which has been mediating the broader Azeri-Armenian conflict since March 1992.
Given the strained nature of its relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey, Armenia sees military-political cooperation with Russia as an essential element of its security and defense policy. Besides Russian military bases in Armenia, Russian border guards assist Armenia in protecting its borders with Turkey and Iran. Armenia is an active CSTO member, the only member of the CSTO in the South Caucasus. Russia is also Armenia’s main investor, with its total exceeding $3 billion through 2012, mainly in the energy and communications sectors. Underlining Russia’s deep involvement in Armenia’s transport sector, a Feb. 2008 agreement between the Russian and Armenian governments transferred Armenian Railways to Russian Railways’ subsidiary, South Caucasus Railways for 30 years. The agreement committed the Russians to investing $230 million in Armenia during the first five years of operations and subsequently an additional $240 million.
Armenia also purchases natural gas from Russia at preferential rates, with only Belarus receiving a better price.
In the wake of deteriorating Western-Russian relations over Ukraine, the Russian air force is upgrading the Soviet-era Erebuni airbase in Armenia, which houses the Russian 3624th Air Base and currently hosts a squadron of MiG-29 fighters and Mi-24 attack helicopters. As the Ukrainian crisis deepened, in Jan. the Russian Southern Military District press service confirmed that a contingent of Mi-24P attack helicopters, Mi-8MT and Mi-8SMV military transport helicopters were scheduled for deployment at Erebuni later in the year. Underlining Russia’s strengthening presence in Armenia, 3,000 Russian and Armenian military personnel from Erebuni and other facilities on Oct. 13-19 held military preparedness joint exercises, which included Erebuni MiG-29s, at Armenia’s Kamhud and Alagyaz training facilities.
Besides Erebuni, the Russian 102nd Military Base is in the Armenian city of Gyumri. In stark contrast to Ukraine’s years-long haggling with Russia over the terms of its lease of Sevastopol for the Black Sea Fleet, in Aug. 2010, Russia and Armenia agreed to prolong the Gyumri lease agreement until 2044.
Russia provides Armenia with armaments, investment and political support, for which Armenia reciprocates by providing territory for Russian military base deployment, thereby contributing to the preservation of Russia’s presence in the South Caucasus. Since the Ukrainian crisis erupted, Russia’s strengthening of its military presence in Armenia sends a strong message to neighboring NATO member Turkey, as well as NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) associates Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Farther east, Bondarev noted that Russia is negotiating with Kyrgyzstan to reconstruct the Kant airbase outside the capital Bishkek to support Russian strategic bombers, which currently houses a Russian fighter squadron under CSTO auspices.
In many ways Kyrgyzstan and its air bases represents the height of the more than decade-old shadow “Great Game” conflict for Central Asia between Russia and the West, which began in earnest after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S, after which Washington sought military access to Central Asia to mount military operations against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
The U.S. by the end of the year had acquired air bases at both Karshi-Khanabad in Uzbekistan and Manas in Kyrgyzstan, only to lose them later through inept foreign policy. The U.S.-Uzbekistan Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), signed Oct. 6, 2001, less than a month after the 9-11 attacks, permitted the U.S. to station up to 1,500 U.S. troops at the Karshi-Khanabad (K2) airbase 90 miles north of the Afghan border. The following month, the Manas airbase was established on Dec. 4, 2001, under the joint Kyrgyz-U.S. SOFA.
The Pentagon selected Manas above Kyrgyzstan’s other 52 airports because its 14,000-foot runway, originally built for Soviet bombers, could be utilized by USAF C-5 Galaxy cargo planes and 747s to support Operation Enduring Freedom. In contrast, Russia’s Kant airbase, 12 miles outside Bishkek Kant and just 20 miles from Manas, was established in Oct. 2003, nearly two years later, its first military base outside the Russian Federation since the 1991 collapse of the USSR.
In 2013, as events in Ukraine deteriorated, on Oct. 27 Russian air force commander Viktor Sevastianov, visiting Kant to mark the 10th anniversary of its founding, announced that the number of planes based at Kant, then consisting of 10 Sukhoi fighters, two Mi-8 helicopters and roughly a dozen other transport and training airplanes “will at least double by this December.” The previous month Russia and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement allowing the Russian air forces to continue operations at Kant until 2032 with possible five-year extensions, in exchange for Moscow’s writing off $500 million in Kyrgyz debt.
On July 29, 2005, due to Washington’s mixed diplomatic signals straining relations over the May 2005 tragedy in Andijan, Uzbekistan, under the terms of the SOFA Uzbekistan told the U.S. to vacate K2, which was completed in Nov. 2005.
After the departure of U.S. forces from Uzbekistan, Manas, 400 miles and 90-minutes flying time to Afghanistan, became the main hub for U.S. operations in Afghanistan, processing more than 5.3 million U.S. servicemen, 98 percent of all military personnel involved in Operation Enduring Freedom, with 1,200 U.S. servicemen performing aerial refueling, personnel and 42,000 cargo airlift missions, according to Colonel John Millard, commander of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing and Manas base head.
But Washington’s inept policies towards Kyrgyzstan eventually soured bilateral relations over Manas. Kyrgyz complaints included inadequate rent, corrupt fuel contracts and environmental concerns. Things came to a head on Dec. 6, 2006, when 20year-old U.S. soldier Zachary Hatfield shot and killed 42 year-old Kyrgyz Aleksandr Ivanov, an ethnic Russian Kyrgyz, at the airbase’s entry gate. Ivanov worked for Aerocraft Petrol Management, which provided fuel services for Kyrgyz and international civilian aircraft. Hatfield maintained that he fired in self-defense after Ivanov approached him with a knife. Despite promises to make Hatfield available to the Kyrgyz judicial system, the Pentagon whisked him out of the country, greatly angering the Kyrgyz population.
In addition, Russia was offering various forms of financial assistance and soft loans which went unmatched by Washington, deeply mired in its dealings with corrupt President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who in April 2010 in the face of massive demonstrations fled the country. On Nov. 8 2011, newly elected President Almazbek Atambayev announced that he would close Manas when its lease ran out in 2014. On June 3, 2014 American troops vacated the base and it was handed back.
Not surprisingly, in the wake of NATO’s expansion and Western protests over Ukraine, Russia is shoring up its military and economic presence in the post-Soviet space where possible, whether through bilateral arrangements or multilateral organizations such as CSTO. Given that on Oct. 10 Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, launching on Jan. 1, 2015, which is dominated by the sheer weight of the Russian economy and Kyrgyzstan has applied as well, it seems certain only that Western influence in the Caucasus and Central Asia, particularly in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan can only diminish further, even as NATO steps up its patrols around Russia’s borders.
Dr. John C. K. Daly is a non-resident Fellow at the Johns Hopkins Central Asia Caucasus Institute in Washington DC.
Business Insider: The Huge Scale Of Vladimir Putin's Eurasian Plan
The ongoing political crisis in Ukraine has brought a renewed attention to the Eurasian Union, Vladimir Putin’s grand dream of a political and economic union that would bridge the gap between Europe and Asia.
The protests in Kiev only began last month when President Viktor Yanukovych made an unexpected u-turn on a proposal that would have established free trade and furthered political cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union, an agreement that was seen as a possible precursor to EU membership. Instead, Yanukovych began to move toward an agreement with the Russian-directed Eurasian Customs Union (ECU), which includes Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan at present.
The ECU is seen as a precursor to the broader Eurasian Union, a project close to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s heart, which some say he sees as essential to his legacy. It’s his plan not only to give Russia and allies a way to compete with economic giants such as the United States, China, and the EU, but also to put Russia firmly at the center of regional power. To put this all in context, let’s look at a map of the European Union versus the Eurasian Customs Union as they stand right now:
Eurasian union
- Red shows countries that are currently part of the Eurasian Commission — Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
- Pink shows the countries that are considered candidates to join the Eurasian Union — Armenia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
- Dark blue shows the 28 member states of the EU, including almost all of western Europe and much of the eastern side of the continent.
- Light blue shows the states that are considered potential EU member states. This includes recognised candidates (Iceland, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey) and others that have either not applied yet or not had their applications recognised (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo).
- Green shows states that seem to have a choice between the European Union and the Eurasian Union. Along with Ukraine, we have Georgia, the former Soviet republic that has plans to join the EU but has been listed as a potential member of the Eurasian Union by Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev.
As you
can see the big red blob that represents the ECU already has a clear
size advantage over the EU, and it covers a natural resource rich land
in Russia and Kazakhstan. The three nations currently involved have a
combined population of around 165 million people and a $US2.3 trillion
GDP. Add in Ukraine and Georgia and you would get around 205 million
people and $US2.5 trillion GDP.
Those are big numbers, but they still pale in comparison to the EU, which has more than 500 million inhabitants and a GDP of more than $US16 trillion. China has a population of 1.3 billion and a GDP of $US8.2 trillion, and the USA has a 313 million population and a GDP of almost $US16 tillion.
The ultimate hope for the Eurasian Union is that countries like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan will join. More fantastical plans exist too: One Russian politician (a member of the Putin-linked United Russia party) has floated the idea of eventually broadening the union to include historical allies such as Mongolia and Finland, or even Cuba and Venezuela.
Still, it’s a risky venture for Putin — the immigration implications may be huge for Russia, a country that already deals with a lot of ethnic strife, and you have to question the sanity of any nation entering an economic partnership with Belarus, Europe’s last dictatorship and poorest country.
Putin is a big idea kind of guy, however, and he may be more interested in the symbolism than the reality of his plan. The Russian president has publicly said that the fall of the U.S.S.R. was a “genuine tragedy” and the “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century.” Putin wasn’t talking about Communism here, he was talking about Russia losing its grand geopolitical position as the center of an empire.
The Eurasian Union is his plan to regain that position. It may be a long shot, but right now its all he’s got.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com.au/eurasian-union-map-2013-12
Anti-Western Alliance Forming in the East
The 13th annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is
set to start on Friday, September 12 in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe.
The two-day forum will be attended by regional leaders, including
Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his Chinese and Iranian
counterparts, Xi Jinping and Hassan Rouhani.The SCO is an
intergovernmental organization of Central Asian countries aiming to
promote cooperation between its six member states: Russia, China,
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Topping the agenda are plans to expand the alliance: India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia, - all countries with observer status - are expected become members. Should this happen, the group would then control 20 percent of the world's oil and half of all global gas reserves. On top of that, the bloc would represent about half of the world's population.
The unknown alliance
Despite those numbers and large-scale joint military exercises - the SCO's 'Peace Mission 2014' counted some 7.000 soldiers - the forum receives very little attention in Western media. The SCO's main goal has been to serve as a forum to ease tensions in the region. In the organization's 2002 charter "confidence-building measures" were set as the alliance's first priority. A key aspect of this strategy is the fight against the so-called "three evils:" terrorism, extremism and separatism. Moreover, the members of the group are encouraged to engage in economic and technical cooperation.
Russia and China's interests
Russia and China strive first and foremost for stability. To achieve this, a steady bilateral relationship between the region's two dominant powers is necessary, says Enrico Fels analyst at the Germany-based Center for Global Studies of the University of Bonn. For a long time, Russia had been a declining power in Central Asia, while China was on the rise; so the SCO served as a way to coordinate regional interests, helping reduce tensions between the two countries.
Simultaneously, Central Asia is of strategic importance to both nations, as the maps shows. While Moscow feels threatened by the expansion of NATO and the European Union on its western border, China - the world's largest exporter of goods and one of the largest importers of raw materials - is highly dependent on its ports. Beijing is under pressure in the east from the United States and its regional allies, Japan and the Phillipines.
Analyst Fels summarizes the situation by saying that given the outside pressure exerted on both countries they feel like they must get along in Central Asia. Stability in the region is also key to protect Russian and Chinese Seconomic interests. Both countries depend on a functioning infrastructure, such as pipelines and railways.
China not only imports gas and oil from Russia and Central Asia, but it is also the largest supplier of goods in the region. Not least, both Moscow and Beijing do not want Central Asia to become a location for Western military bases - namely American - as it once was.
Central Asian perspective?
There is no Central Asia perspective, as Beate Eschment, analyst at the Research Center of East European Studies at the University of Bremen told DW. The countries' interests are pointedly different: while Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are economically and militarily dependent on Russia, Turkmenistan – which is not a member of the SCO – isn't, as it is trying to maintain as neutral a position as possible, says Eschment.
Furthermore, Uzbekistan is pursuing a completely different policy, sometimes leaning towards Russia and sometimes towards China. At the same time, "the leadership of the biggest and both militarily and economically strongest country in Central Asia - Kazakhstan - is Russophile," says Eschment.
However, there are huge tensions between the two, as the Kazakhs are wary of too much Russian interference. Given the situation in Ukraine, Astana is afraid of a possible annexation of their northern territories by Moscow, since the area is home to a large Russian minority. As such, China may have an advantage in these countries, as it is seen by their leaders as having only an economic interest in them, Eschment adds.
Against the West
What links all SCO states – whether members or observers – is the rejection of Western-dominated institutions, be it the United Nations, World Bank or the International Monetary Fund, which are all US-based. "The SCO, like the BRICS with the establishment of their Development Bank, sees itself as a forum against the global order," says Fels.
"I don't think that the SCO will be an anti-NATO or an 'OPEC with bombs,'" the analyst says. Their approach, he adds, is comprehensive and based not only on a military alliance, but also on economic ties and soft power.
In spite of this, Fels says that "very little else has been done beyond letters of intent and military exercises." The reason for this is that the SCO is poorly equipped, he says: "They want to cooperate and have geostrategic operations. But the question is how many resources will be allocated for this?".
Moreover, they work along the principle of non-interference, which has long dominated Chinese foreign policy. However, this approach can only go so far when applied to an international alliance. For instance, when violent conflicts between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan broke out in 2010 - claiming the lives of 2,000 people and leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands - the SCO decided to follow the non-interference principle and remain, by and large, passive.
Source: http://www.dw.de/anti-western-alliance-in-asia/a-17914677
Topping the agenda are plans to expand the alliance: India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia, - all countries with observer status - are expected become members. Should this happen, the group would then control 20 percent of the world's oil and half of all global gas reserves. On top of that, the bloc would represent about half of the world's population.
The unknown alliance
Despite those numbers and large-scale joint military exercises - the SCO's 'Peace Mission 2014' counted some 7.000 soldiers - the forum receives very little attention in Western media. The SCO's main goal has been to serve as a forum to ease tensions in the region. In the organization's 2002 charter "confidence-building measures" were set as the alliance's first priority. A key aspect of this strategy is the fight against the so-called "three evils:" terrorism, extremism and separatism. Moreover, the members of the group are encouraged to engage in economic and technical cooperation.
Russia and China's interests
Russia and China strive first and foremost for stability. To achieve this, a steady bilateral relationship between the region's two dominant powers is necessary, says Enrico Fels analyst at the Germany-based Center for Global Studies of the University of Bonn. For a long time, Russia had been a declining power in Central Asia, while China was on the rise; so the SCO served as a way to coordinate regional interests, helping reduce tensions between the two countries.
Simultaneously, Central Asia is of strategic importance to both nations, as the maps shows. While Moscow feels threatened by the expansion of NATO and the European Union on its western border, China - the world's largest exporter of goods and one of the largest importers of raw materials - is highly dependent on its ports. Beijing is under pressure in the east from the United States and its regional allies, Japan and the Phillipines.
Analyst Fels summarizes the situation by saying that given the outside pressure exerted on both countries they feel like they must get along in Central Asia. Stability in the region is also key to protect Russian and Chinese Seconomic interests. Both countries depend on a functioning infrastructure, such as pipelines and railways.
China not only imports gas and oil from Russia and Central Asia, but it is also the largest supplier of goods in the region. Not least, both Moscow and Beijing do not want Central Asia to become a location for Western military bases - namely American - as it once was.
Central Asian perspective?
There is no Central Asia perspective, as Beate Eschment, analyst at the Research Center of East European Studies at the University of Bremen told DW. The countries' interests are pointedly different: while Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are economically and militarily dependent on Russia, Turkmenistan – which is not a member of the SCO – isn't, as it is trying to maintain as neutral a position as possible, says Eschment.
Furthermore, Uzbekistan is pursuing a completely different policy, sometimes leaning towards Russia and sometimes towards China. At the same time, "the leadership of the biggest and both militarily and economically strongest country in Central Asia - Kazakhstan - is Russophile," says Eschment.
However, there are huge tensions between the two, as the Kazakhs are wary of too much Russian interference. Given the situation in Ukraine, Astana is afraid of a possible annexation of their northern territories by Moscow, since the area is home to a large Russian minority. As such, China may have an advantage in these countries, as it is seen by their leaders as having only an economic interest in them, Eschment adds.
Against the West
What links all SCO states – whether members or observers – is the rejection of Western-dominated institutions, be it the United Nations, World Bank or the International Monetary Fund, which are all US-based. "The SCO, like the BRICS with the establishment of their Development Bank, sees itself as a forum against the global order," says Fels.
"I don't think that the SCO will be an anti-NATO or an 'OPEC with bombs,'" the analyst says. Their approach, he adds, is comprehensive and based not only on a military alliance, but also on economic ties and soft power.
In spite of this, Fels says that "very little else has been done beyond letters of intent and military exercises." The reason for this is that the SCO is poorly equipped, he says: "They want to cooperate and have geostrategic operations. But the question is how many resources will be allocated for this?".
Moreover, they work along the principle of non-interference, which has long dominated Chinese foreign policy. However, this approach can only go so far when applied to an international alliance. For instance, when violent conflicts between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan broke out in 2010 - claiming the lives of 2,000 people and leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands - the SCO decided to follow the non-interference principle and remain, by and large, passive.
Source: http://www.dw.de/anti-western-alliance-in-asia/a-17914677
Russia And China Want To Build The Longest High-Speed Railway In The World To Connect Them
Trans Siberian Experience
China and Russia are considering building a high-speed rail line
thousands of kilometres from Moscow to Beijing that would cut the
journey time from six days on the celebrated Trans-Siberian to two,
Chinese media reported Friday. The project would cost more than $230 billion and be over 7,000
kilometres (4,350 miles) long, the Beijing Times reported -- more than
three times the world's current longest high-speed line, from the
Chinese capital to the southern city of Guangzhou.
The railway would be a powerful physical symbol of the ties that bind
Moscow and Beijing, whose political relationship has roots dating from
the Soviet era and who often vote together on the UN Security Council. They have strengthened their relationship as Western criticism of
Russian President Vladimir Putin mounts over Ukraine and other issues. Trans Siberian ExperienceThe new bullet train would run alongside current trains but will cut the travel time by 6 days.
The
two signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this week during
Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Moscow in which Beijing expressed interest
in building a fast rail link between the Russian capital and Kazan in
the oil-rich Tatarstan region, state broadcaster China Central
Television reported.
The 803-kilometre line would be the first stage of the route to Beijing, CCTV said. At present, trains between the two run along the Trans-Siberian
railway that links Moscow and Vladivostok, before switching to a branch
line heading south through the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator.
Direct passenger trains between Beijing and Moscow went into
operation in 1954 and there are still two services per week, CCTV said. The new link would cut the train travel time from six days at present
to under two days, the Beijing Times quoted Wang Mengshu, a tunnel and
railway expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as saying.
"If the funds are raised smoothly... the line can be completed in five years at the quickest," he added.
The paper cited a research report that put the cost of one kilometre of Chinese-built fast rail at $33 million. The country has the world's largest high-speed rail network, built
from scratch in less than a decade, relying on technology transfer from
foreign companies, including France's Alstom, Germany's Siemens and
Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
Its reputation was tarnished after a bullet train collision in July
2011 near the eastern city of Wenzhou that killed at least 40 people and
injured hundreds. But China is now keen to promote the export of its technology, and
has been building high-speed rail networks in Turkey and Venezuela.
The Eurasian Project: A Threat to The New World Order
One might be tempted to regard Russian premier V. Putin's paper “A new integration project for Eurasia: The future in the making”,
which saw the light of day in Izvestia on October 3, 2011, as the
presidential front-runner's sketchily laid out program, but upon
scrutiny that appears to be only one part of a wider picture. The
opinion piece momentarily ignited wide-scale controversy in and outside
of Russia and highlighted the ongoing clash of positions on global
development…
Regardless of interpretation details, the reaction of the Western media to the integration project unveiled by the Russian premier was uniformly negative and reflected with utmost clarity an a priori hostility towards Russia and any initiatives it floats. Mao Zedong, though, used to say that facing pressure from your enemies is better than being in such a condition that they do not bother to keep you under pressure.
It helps to understand why, at the moment, Cold War-style headlines are constantly popping up in Western media and what perceived threat the West discerned in Putin's recent Eurasian integration. The obvious explanation is that, if implemented, the plan would come as a geopolitical challenge to the new world order, to the dominance of NATO, the IMF, the EU and other supranational bodies, and to the undisguised US primacy. Today's increasingly assertive Russia suggests and is ready to start building an inclusive alliance based on principles providing a viable alternative to Atlantism and neoliberalism. It is an open secret that these days the West is putting into practice an array of far-reaching geopolitical projects, reconfiguring Europe in the wake of the Balkan conflicts and against the backdrop of the crises provoked in Greece and Cyprus, assembling the Greater Middle East based on serial regime changes across the Arab world, and, as a relatively novel design, implementing the Asia project in which the recent disaster in Japan was an active phase.
In 2011, the intensity of geopolitical dynamics was unprecedented since the collapse of the USSR and the Eastern Bloc, with all major countries and international bodies contributing. Moreover, the current impression is that military might somehow became a legitimate instrument in international politics. Just days ago, Moscow drew avalanche criticism after vetoing the UN Security Council resolution which could authorize a replay of the Libyan scenario in Syria. As a result, US permanent envoy to the UN S. Rice slammed Russia and China over the veto, while French foreign minister Alain Juppé declared that “it is a sad day for the Syrian people. It is a sad day for the Security Council”. During the heated UN security Council debates on September 5, Syrian representative lambasted Germany and France, and charged the US with perpetrating genocide in the Middle East. After that, S. Rice accused Russia and China of hoping to sell arms to the Syrian regime instead of standing by the Syrian people and stormed out of the meeting, and French envoy Gérard Araud opined that “No veto can clear of their responsibility these Syrian authorities that have lost any legitimacy by murdering its own people”, leaving an impression that murdering people, as in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, should be a NATO privilege.
Moscow's Western “partners” are outraged whenever Russia, in concert with China, puts obstacles in the way of the new world order. Syria, albeit a regionally important country, only fleetingly tops the agenda, but Putin's ambitious plan for the whole Eurasia - “reaching a higher level of integration – a Eurasian Union” - had to be expected to evoke deep and lasting concerns in the West. Moscow openly challenges the West's global dominance by “suggesting a model of a powerful supranational union that can become one of the poles of today's world while being an efficient connecting link between Europe and the dynamic Asia-Pacific Region”. No doubt, Putin's messages that “the combination of natural resources, capital, and strong human potential will make the Eurasian Union competitive in the industrial and technological race and the race for investor money, new jobs, and advanced production facilities” and that “along with other key players and regional institutions such as the EU, the USA, China, and APEC, it will ensure the sustainability of global development” sounded alarming to Western leaders.
Neither the collapse of the USSR and the bipolar world nor the subsequent proliferation of pro-Western “democracies” marked a final point in the struggle over global primacy. What followed was an era of military interventions and displacements of defiant regimes with the help of information warfare and the omnipresent Western soft power. In this game, Eurasia remains the main prize in line with John Mackinder's geopolitical imperative by which “Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island; who rules the World-Island controls the world”.
In the late XX century the US became the first-ever non-Eurasian country to combine the roles of the world's top power and the final arbiter in Eurasian affairs. In the framework of the new world order doctrine, the US and the West as a whole see Eurasia as a zone of key importance to their economic development and growing political might. Global dominance is an openly stated and constantly pursued goal of the Euro-Atlantic community and its military and financial institutions – NATO, the IMF, and the World Bank - along with the Western media and countless NGOs. In the process, the Western establishment remains fully aware that, in Z. Brzeziński's words, „America's global primacy is directly dependent on how long and how effectively its preponderance on the Eurasian continent is sustained”. Sustaining the “preponderance”, in turn, takes control over Europe, Russia, China, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Untamed Western hegemony in Europe, Central Asia, and, to an extent, in the Middle East and even Russia used to count as an unquestionable outcome of the past couple of decades, but at the moment the situation appears fluid. Western, Chinese, and Russian watchers alike are predicting an imminent failure of the neoliberal globalization model embedded in the new world order, and the time is coming for the political class to adopt the view.
By opening up opportunities to shield original models of national development from Atlantist pressure and to maintain real international security, Putin's new integration project holds a major promise for Russia and its allies, and thereby presents Russia's foes with a serious problem. Neither Russia nor any other post-Soviet republic can survive in today's world single-handedly, and Russia as Eurasia's key geopolitical player with economic, political, and military potentials unparalleled across the post-Soviet space can and should stake a bid for an alternative global architecture.
The West's allergy to Putin's plan is therefore explainable, but, regardless of the opposition the project is bound to run into, of the weakness of some of its elements, and of the potential difficulty of putting it into practice, the Eurasian integration project grew out of the life of the post-Soviet geopolitical and cultural space and is consonant with current global trends. Surviving, preserving the economic and material foundations of national existence, keeping traditions alive, and building a secure future for the children are the objectives the Eurasian nations can accomplish only if they stay aligned with Russia. Otherwise, isolation, sanctions, and military interventions awaits them…
Source: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=27015
GEORGE SOROS: 'Wake Up, Europe!'
Multibillionaire investor George Soros has issued a warning to Europe's
democracies over the threat that a resurgent Russia poses to the
continent. In an essay published Thursday in the New York Review of Books,
Soros calls for more economic and military support for Ukraine, as well
as the abandonment of the eurozone's current austerity programs. Here are his opening few lines [emphasis added]:
Europe is facing a challenge from Russia to its very existence. Neither the European leaders nor their citizens are fully aware of this challenge or know how best to deal with it. I attribute this mainly to the fact that the European Union in general and the eurozone in particular lost their way after the financial crisis of 2008.
The fiscal rules that currently prevail in Europe have aroused a lot of popular resentment. Anti-Europe parties captured nearly 30 percent of the seats in the latest elections for the European Parliament but they had no realistic alternative to the EU to point to until recently. Now Russia is presenting an alternative that poses a fundamental challenge to the values and principles on which the European Union was originally founded. It is based on the use of force that manifests itself in repression at home and aggression abroad, as opposed to the rule of law.
What is shocking is that Vladimir Putin’s Russia has proved to be in some ways superior to the European Union — more flexible and constantly springing surprises. That has given it a tactical advantage, at least in the near term.Soros is probably a better authority than most to talk about the threat from a divided Europe. In 1944, Soros was 13 years old and living in Hungary when Germany invaded. He goes on:
It is high time for the members of the European Union to wake up and behave as countries indirectly at war. They are better off helping Ukraine to defend itself than having to fight for themselves. One way or another, the internal contradiction between being at war and remaining committed to fiscal austerity has to be eliminated. Where there is a will, there is a way.
He ends on a call for the EU to be more "united, flexible, and efficient":
There must be something wrong with the EU if Putin’s Russia can be so successful even in the short term. The bureaucracy of the EU no longer has a monopoly of power and it has little to be proud of. It should learn to be more united, flexible, and efficient. And Europeans themselves need to take a close look at the new Ukraine. That could help them recapture the original spirit that led to the creation of the European Union. The European Union would save itself by saving Ukraine.
PFA: A Roadmap for Armenia’s Relations with the West
Policy Forum Armenia (PFA),a Washington-based international think tank, today announced the publication of its State of the Nation Report on “Armenia and the West: A New Vision for the Caucasus”. It offers some out-of-the-box thinking that challenges prevailing views about Western involvement in Armenia and the Caucasus.
The report
essentially points out a critical handicapping factor (Armenia’s
leadership and governance), and lays out a vision for the country’s role
in the region under a leadership that would enjoy widespread support
among its people; understand and stay current with global trends; and
maintain a reasonable degree of independence from foreign interference.
The report states
that, if implemented in practical terms, a leadership change of this
nature would unleash Armenia’s developmental potential and effectively
lead to the proposed foreign policy reorientation. The report notes
that while Armenia has its current problems, the West has lost a
valuable opportunity to steer Armenia toward more democracy and better
governance.
However, recent
developments in the wider region bring new opportunities for the West to
forge stronger ties with Armenia. Yet, as argued in the report, this
cannot be done under the current ruling regime which has squandered the
country’s economic and geopolitical potential and brought Armenia close
to a point of no-return.
The report provides a
thorough review of Armenia’s bilateral relations with all its neighbors
and Russia. While it recognizes the gravity of the current status quo
that relies heavily on Russia’s meddling in Armenia’s domestic and
foreign policy choices, it proposes a way out. The report notes that
Russia’s control of Armenia is working against the long-run interests of
both countries.
While analyzing the
Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement, the report lays out three possible
scenarios. The most attractive scenario for Armenia-one that requires
strengthening the country’s economy and defense capabilities to retain
control over Nagorno-Karabakh—is one that would also bring stability to
the region and allow the creation of a Transcaucasian economic market
for the benefit of all players.
In terms of
Armenia’s attractiveness for the West, the report lays out a vision in
which Armenia plays the role of a key corridor for de-blockading Iran,
when Western sanctions are lifted; acts as a reliable partner for
Georgia in an otherwise very volatile region; and presents itself as a
potential buffer against Turkey’s neo-Ottoman aspirations in the region.
Source: http://hetq.am/eng/news/56684/pfas-new-report-a-roadmap-for-armenias-relations-with-the-west-and-a-new-vision-for-the-caucasus.html
Hayrikian March in Yerevan With Flags of Ukraine, and EU
A
few dozen people gathered under the slogan "No to Putinism" on May 18
and marched from Liberty Square to the Russian Embassy in Yerevan.
According to the organizers, the march was organized against the
Kremlin's "inhuman and occupant policy," the pressure on Armenia to join
the Russian-led Customs Union, and Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan
Volynkin's "anti-democratic statement," with the aim of calling
him a persona non grata. The initiative supported a number of protests
against Putinism by
Russian democratic forces held in several major cities. Participants of
the march in Yerevan carried the flags of Armenia, the EU, and Ukraine;
as well as portraits of Volodya Avetisyan and Shant Harutyunyan — Armenian activists
believed to be imprisoned for their political views.
One of the organizers of the demonstration, former Soviet dissident, Union for National Self-Determination party leader Paruyr Hayrikyan, speaking with journalists in Liberty Square, said those who think this initiative is "anti-Russian" are mistaken. He said those gathered comprise the democratic forces of the entire world, who today organized marches against Putinism in different cities. According to him, Putin is a tyrant and an evil for all, including for the Russian people. Police forces blocked demonstrators from protesting on the sidewalk outside the Russian Embassy. For about 20 minutes organizers negotiated with the police, saying that the march is authorized and they have the right to protest directly outside the embassy. During this time, some of the police officers spoke with demonstrators in a disrespectful manner, one of them saying to a protestor: "You are still too young to be able to say something to me."
One of the organizers of the demonstration, Vrej Zatikyan, announced that police officers also support the Putin regime. Demonstrators who held Ukraine's flag began to chant in Russian, "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!" (one of the slogans of Ukraine's Maidan). Ultimately, police officers unblocked the road, and demonstrators got closer to the Russian Embassy building.
One of the organizers of the demonstration, former Soviet dissident, Union for National Self-Determination party leader Paruyr Hayrikyan, speaking with journalists in Liberty Square, said those who think this initiative is "anti-Russian" are mistaken. He said those gathered comprise the democratic forces of the entire world, who today organized marches against Putinism in different cities. According to him, Putin is a tyrant and an evil for all, including for the Russian people. Police forces blocked demonstrators from protesting on the sidewalk outside the Russian Embassy. For about 20 minutes organizers negotiated with the police, saying that the march is authorized and they have the right to protest directly outside the embassy. During this time, some of the police officers spoke with demonstrators in a disrespectful manner, one of them saying to a protestor: "You are still too young to be able to say something to me."
One of the organizers of the demonstration, Vrej Zatikyan, announced that police officers also support the Putin regime. Demonstrators who held Ukraine's flag began to chant in Russian, "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!" (one of the slogans of Ukraine's Maidan). Ultimately, police officers unblocked the road, and demonstrators got closer to the Russian Embassy building.
Amanda Paul: Armenia's membership in EEU will further undermine regional security
Despite many Armenians hoping that it would not happen, it came as no real surprise that Armenia's president, Serzh Sarksyan, signed the agreement to join the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) last Friday at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in Minsk. Hence as of Jan. 1, 2015, three will become four as Armenia joins Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
As I have written before, like many analysts, I do not consider this membership to be beneficial to Armenia for at least five reasons: First, membership in the EEU will further erode Armenia's independence and sovereignty. Second, it will further consolidate Russia's hold over the Armenian economy and the oligarchic networks that control it. Third, unlike the agreements offered by the EU, which were abandoned in September 2013, it will not act as a roadmap for reform and modernization. This means that the current corrupt and monopolized system will continue. Fourth, it limits the sort of economic relationship that Armenia can have with the EU, meaning that diversification will be even more difficult than it was previously. And finally, it will further undermine Armenia's security and increase regional tensions not least because it still remains unclear how this is going to affect the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. There is concern that the agreement will have very negative consequences for Karabakh's economy as it depends on Armenia, which is its only export market.
This has been a very sensitive issue for other members of the EEU, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Nagorno-Karabakh is an internationally recognized part of Azerbaijan, and Minsk and Astana want to avoid any negative ramifications on their relations with Azerbaijan, underlining that membership in the EEU must be within UN-recognized borders. While there has been some discussion over a border post between Karabakh and Armenia, nothing is confirmed. Furthermore, one could hardly say this would represent watertight control. Hence, there remains a very high risk of goods from Karabakh being relabeled and exported. There can be no doubt this situation seems set to increase tensions with Azerbaijan.
Armenians are also right to be concerned about the further erosion of their sovereignty. However, while Sarksyan may have been the one to sign on the dotted line this time, he is certainly not alone in taking decisions that erode Armenia's independence. In fact, one way or another, all of Armenia's presidents have made decisions that have allowed Moscow to nibble away at the country's sovereignty. It was Armenia's first president, Ter Petrossian, who cut the deal with Moscow to allow the Russian military a base in Armenia and Russian troops on the Turkey-Armenian border to “protect” the country from Turkey. He was followed by Robert Kocharyan, who sold off key infrastructure to Russia related to energy, transport and communications networks. And then came Sarksyan, who has not only brought Armenia into the EEU, but also extended the Russian military base lease at Gyumri for a further 50 years as well as allowing Russia to share its Erebuni airport.
Armenians believe that Russia will take care of their security and that Russia is essential to them in their conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. During the Minsk meeting, Putin announced that a military exercise at Gyumri a few days later with some 3,000 soldiers and numerous pieces of military hardware including Mig fighter jets and tanks. Russia claims that its military bases shore up peace and security in the region. To me it seems the opposite is true as these military bases are used by Russia to project power and create instability, further undermining the already-fragile security situation in the South Caucasus
Furthermore, despite the fact that Russia claims to be Armenia's security guarantor and close ally, at the same time Moscow continues to sell arms and sign military deals with Azerbaijan. Russian Defense Minister Gen. Sergei Shoigu paid a visit to Baku on Oct. 13, and it is reported that a Cooperation Plan for 2015 was signed between the ministries of defense of the two countries. Nagorno-Karabakh is used by Russia to divide and rule, to play Armenia and Azerbaijan off each other and, along with South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia, guarantee Russia's ongoing stake in the region. Armenia's membership in the EEU serves to consolidate this stake.
Amanda Paul: Armenia and the Customs Union
Just over
one year ago, Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan, took a trip to Moscow
for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Immediately
afterwards, to the great surprise (and in many cases horror) of Armenian
society and a good part of the government, Sarksyan announced that
Armenia would be joining the Russian-led Customs Union.
With this decision, the commitment that Yerevan had made to initial
and then sign an Association Agreement, including a Deep and
Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with the European Union went
up in smoke. Armenia had spent nearly four years negotiating these EU
agreements. Just over a month before the Moscow meeting, European Commissioner
for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Füle visited
Yerevan. Armenian's leadership had assured him that everything was on
track.
Furthermore, on Aug. 11, 2013, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister
Shavarsh Kocharyan had stated, “Russia is our military-security choice;
the DCFTA is our economic choice.” The September U-turn showed us a very
different picture as regarding the independence of Armenia's foreign
policy. It put an end to the Armenian narrative of a multi-vector
foreign policy -- having a strong relationship with Russia but also
deepening relations with the Euro-Atlantic institutions. For Armenia,
deepening economic ties with the EU was particularly important not just
because of the amount of control that Russia has over the Armenian
economy but because of monopolistic/corrupt and oligarch-dominated
nature of it. The DCFTA would have helped Armenia diversify its economy,
while also offering a roadmap for reform and modernization.
Furthermore, it also underlined Moscow's new assertive policy of
pushing back against EU engagement in the former Soviet Space, sending a
message to others in the region. The decision was portrayed as if
Armenia had no choice. That because of the significant leverage that
Russia has over Armenia -- energy, economy, migrant workers in Russia
and the fact that Russia supposedly guarantees Armenia's security --
Yerevan had to accept it, despite the fact that it was a bad one for the
development of the nation -- other than for those people who continue
to fill their pockets from the monopolized economy.
Of course there is always a choice. Armenia's leadership could have
said “no.” Sorry President Putin, but we are a sovereign nation and we
will choose our own way; we will not be blackmailed and bullied. Perhaps
in light of what Russia has done to Ukraine and Moldova, many would say
the right choice was made. What has Armenia actually gained? Will being
part of the Customs Union make Armenia more secure, safe and
prosperous? Will it strengthen the country? I would argue the opposite.
Armenia has further undermined its own security with this choice.
Russia's significant military presence is first and foremost for
Russia's benefit, allowing Moscow to project its power across the
region. Furthermore, despite the fact that Russia claims to be Armenia's
security ally, Moscow continues to sell arms to Azerbaijan too, playing
the two states off each other.
Armenia has not yet signed on the dotted line. There have been many
difficulties along the way, including strong resistance from Russia's
fellow Customs Union members Kazakhstan and Belarus. This resistance has
been welcomed by many Armenians. As one analyst recently said, “I hope
Belarus and Kazakhstan will block forever.” Yet the big day is coming
closer. Earlier this month Putin approved the government's proposal for
Armenia's accession to the treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, with
accession now slated for Oct. 10.
Armenia still wants a relationship with the EU but it remains very unclear what sort of shape this relationship will take. Yerevan needs to define where there is room for cooperation and where there is not. As stated by Peter Stano, spokesperson for European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Füle, “for [a] broad and new definition or redefinition of our relations, we need to have a complete overview and idea from the Armenian side as to what they can do in the new circumstance created by Armenia's membership in the Customs Union.”
Russia wants a minimalist relationship. On Sept. 23 Yerevan received a
warning from Moscow to stay away from Europe. Former Russian Ambassador
to Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko stated that unless Armenia makes its
pro-Russian choice final and binding, and turns its back on supposed
“Western values” of aggression, it will face a Ukraine-style crisis.
With allies like Russia, who needs enemies?
No Maidan for Armenia: Anti-Russian rhetoric not “on agenda” of Yerevan rally
Today, October 10, is the day when the troika of non-governing parties –
the Armenian National Congress (ANC), Prosperous Armenia and Heritage –
plan to hold their joint anti-government rally in Yerevan. Also today,
Armenia is expected to formally accede to the Eurasian Economic Union
(EEU).
However, judging from the statements made by the leaders of the opposition bloc, who, by the way, are going to be present at the rally, they are not going to criticize President Serzh Sargsyan for joining the EEU. On the contrary, two of the three leaders, notably Gagik Tsarukyan of Prosperous Armenia and ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosyan who leads the ANC, appear to support integration with the pro-Russian alliance. The third minority bloc party, Heritage, has not raised its differences on the matter in the course of the current anti-government push.
Answering a question from the Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta as to whether the rally in Yerevan would become a “Maidan with anti-Russian rhetoric”, Tsarukyan said: “You have never heard and won’t hear me and my supporters making any anti-Russian statements. People demand positive changes in their lives, and it has nothing to do with either Russia or the West.”.
“As regards specifically the Armenian-Russian relations, I am an advocate of the following formula: Armenia needs Russia as a strong ally. But this formula has a reverse side too: in the South Caucasus Russia also needs Armenia as an economically strong and dynamically developing ally,” Tsarukyan emphasized.
At the same time, the political heavyweight did not specifically declare whether his party supports the idea of Armenia’s joining the EEU or not. There is a sizable body of expert opinion that membership in the trade bloc is fraught with not only deterioration of the socio-economic situation in Armenia, but also with the country’s political isolation.
Earlier, ANC parliamentary leader Levon Zurabyan stated that the scheduling of the opposition rally for October 10 was in no way connected with Armenia’s accession to the EEU, but he did not say whether or not the rally would discuss the benefits and challenges of this move. Earlier, the ANC leader, first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan described Armenia’s accession to the EEU as “irreversible”.
Representative of the Heritage party Armen Martirosyan, who previously stated that at rallies he would also speak about the challenges of the planned EEU entry, also said that his party has never made anti-Russian statements. “If we promote the interests of Armenia, if we say that there should be a European system of values, it does not mean that we are anti-Russian figures. Have you ever heard us say anything bad about the Russian people? That did not happen. One should not mistake a pro-Armenian position for an anti-Russian one. We respect all nations and countries, but for us our interests are of paramount importance,” said Martirosyan.
During the rallies in eight towns of Armenia held since September 25 representatives of Heritage did not raise the issue of the EEU and the European system of values. And at the Yerevan rally it will, apparently, be late to discuss it.
Armenian experts say that the “troika” plans the rally at a time when it expects the treaty on Armenia’s membership in the EEU to have already been signed. And after that the bloc of parliamentary minority parties wants to start the process of “regime change”, apparently thinking that Moscow will support this process. Tsarukyan has already stated that he has several likely presidential candidates on his mind and he is ready to support them in the next presidential election. The tycoon went further to declare that if it was deemed necessary for him to run for president, he was ready to do that.
One question remains, however: it is unclear why Moscow would need a change of power in Armenia if current president Sargsyan appears to be following the path that meets the Russian requirements.
However, judging from the statements made by the leaders of the opposition bloc, who, by the way, are going to be present at the rally, they are not going to criticize President Serzh Sargsyan for joining the EEU. On the contrary, two of the three leaders, notably Gagik Tsarukyan of Prosperous Armenia and ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosyan who leads the ANC, appear to support integration with the pro-Russian alliance. The third minority bloc party, Heritage, has not raised its differences on the matter in the course of the current anti-government push.
Answering a question from the Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta as to whether the rally in Yerevan would become a “Maidan with anti-Russian rhetoric”, Tsarukyan said: “You have never heard and won’t hear me and my supporters making any anti-Russian statements. People demand positive changes in their lives, and it has nothing to do with either Russia or the West.”.
“As regards specifically the Armenian-Russian relations, I am an advocate of the following formula: Armenia needs Russia as a strong ally. But this formula has a reverse side too: in the South Caucasus Russia also needs Armenia as an economically strong and dynamically developing ally,” Tsarukyan emphasized.
At the same time, the political heavyweight did not specifically declare whether his party supports the idea of Armenia’s joining the EEU or not. There is a sizable body of expert opinion that membership in the trade bloc is fraught with not only deterioration of the socio-economic situation in Armenia, but also with the country’s political isolation.
Earlier, ANC parliamentary leader Levon Zurabyan stated that the scheduling of the opposition rally for October 10 was in no way connected with Armenia’s accession to the EEU, but he did not say whether or not the rally would discuss the benefits and challenges of this move. Earlier, the ANC leader, first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan described Armenia’s accession to the EEU as “irreversible”.
Representative of the Heritage party Armen Martirosyan, who previously stated that at rallies he would also speak about the challenges of the planned EEU entry, also said that his party has never made anti-Russian statements. “If we promote the interests of Armenia, if we say that there should be a European system of values, it does not mean that we are anti-Russian figures. Have you ever heard us say anything bad about the Russian people? That did not happen. One should not mistake a pro-Armenian position for an anti-Russian one. We respect all nations and countries, but for us our interests are of paramount importance,” said Martirosyan.
During the rallies in eight towns of Armenia held since September 25 representatives of Heritage did not raise the issue of the EEU and the European system of values. And at the Yerevan rally it will, apparently, be late to discuss it.
Armenian experts say that the “troika” plans the rally at a time when it expects the treaty on Armenia’s membership in the EEU to have already been signed. And after that the bloc of parliamentary minority parties wants to start the process of “regime change”, apparently thinking that Moscow will support this process. Tsarukyan has already stated that he has several likely presidential candidates on his mind and he is ready to support them in the next presidential election. The tycoon went further to declare that if it was deemed necessary for him to run for president, he was ready to do that.
One question remains, however: it is unclear why Moscow would need a change of power in Armenia if current president Sargsyan appears to be following the path that meets the Russian requirements.
Source: http://www.armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/57501/armenia_oposition_rally_eurasian_economic_union
Source: http://iwpr.net/report-news/armenias-eurasian-deal-sell-out-or-fair-trade
Armenia's Eurasian Deal: Sell-Out or Fair Trade?
A year after deciding to align with Moscow rather than Europe,
Armenia has joined a regional economic bloc that critics say will
isolate it from the global economy and bring few tangible benefits in
exchange. Armenia was admitted to the Eurasian Economic Union on October 10 during a meeting of former Soviet leaders in Minsk. In September 2013, President Serzh Sargsyan announced that his
country would seek to enter the Customs Union, made up of Russia,
Belarus and Kazakstan. This was a big surprise since it meant abandoning
a nearly-completed Association Agreement with the European Union after
years of work.
The Eurasian Economic Union, which has a broader remit than the
Customs Union was established in May, with the same three members. It
comes into being in January 2015, and a decision has clearly been taken
to grant accelerated membership to the two states that applied to join
the Customs Union – Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, the latter expected to enter
in 2015, making five member states. At the signing ceremony, President Sargsyan insisted the bloc would
benefit member states by allowing free movement of goods, services,
capital and labour.
Russia is a longstanding ally of Armenia, supplying most of its gas
as well as maintaining a military presence there, so closer economic
integration might seem a natural next step. Some Armenians fear,
however, that the Eurasian union is about much more than free trade, and
that they risk being swallowed up in a new strategic bloc led by
Moscow.
President Sargsyan addressed these concerns in a speech on Independence Day, September 21. Noting that “some of our opponents are trying to portray entry to the
Eurasian Economic Union as a loss of political sovereignty”, he said
there was “no danger” to Armenia’s independence, which was “sacrosanct
and inviolable”.
As for fears that aligning Armenia with Russia and other former
Soviet states would lead to greater isolation, Sargsyan said the country
would continue to be “an active, responsible member of the
international family of nations”, and would engage with the EU, the
United States, China, neighbours Georgia and Iran, and other friendly
states. Although an EU Association Agreement is no longer on the table,
Sargsyan spoke of the importance of working with the EU on his return
from Minsk,
“It’s important for our partners to know that we well never set this
[Eurasian Economic Union membership] against our dialogue with the EU.
That will continue since we have numerous coinciding interests and a
common heritage, the basis for our continuing process of democratic
reforms,” he said during a press conference with the visiting Serbian
president.
His opponents disagree. Tigran Urikhanyan, press secretary of the
opposition party Prosperous Armenia, said Armenia joined the Eurasian
bloc out of necessity, and the real advantages were still unclear.
“We have no other choice. Armenia wasn’t offered an alternative,” he
said. “The authorities who signed this treaty have yet to set out in a
consistent and convincing manner what [accession] can actually give us.”
Tevan Poghosyan, who represents the Heritage Party in parliament,
objected to entering into an association with Russia on the grounds that
it has supplied weapons to arch-enemy Azerbaijan. (See Yerevan Angry at Russian Arms Sales to Baku on this issue.)
“Is that really our choice?” he asked. “Of course not. Joining a union like that can only happen through coercion.”
Before Armenia signed up for the Eurasian union, the Association of
Informed Citizens lobbied for a referendum on accession given the risks
to national sovereignty.
“This agreement runs contrary to the Armenian constitution, since it
means Yerevan entrusting its entire taxation and trade policy to
Moscow,” the association’s founder and project coordinator, Daniel
Ionesyan, told IWPR. “We will cease to be an independent state with
regard to our foreign trade policy. For instance, we will have to obtain
Moscow’s approval before starting negotiations with the World Trade
Organisation or with other countries.”
Manvel Sargsyan, director of the Centre for National and
International Studies in Yerevan, sees Eurasian bloc membership as the
latest stage in a gradual process of ceding sovereignty to Russia.
“The Eurasian Economic Union is a wholly political project, a Russian
geopolitical mechanism for the post-Soviet region,” he told IWPR. “The
process of growing closer to Russia began from day one of Armenian
independence [in 1991]. At that time, the Armenian leadership argued
that the deployment of Russian troops was in Armenia’s interests. All
three presidents of Armenia were drawn into a process of taking
decisions like this. Unfortunately, Armenia has yet to design a
professional policy for dealing with Russia.”
A lot has changed since President Sargsyan announced the switch to
joining the Customs Union last year. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and
support for rebels in east Ukraine has alarmed its other neighbours and
brought down Western economic sanctions. So even if economic integration
with Russia made sense a year ago, dependence on this troubled and
increasingly isolated country no longer looks quite as attractive.
“The problems facing Russia as a state, its confrontation with the
entire world, and its aggressive behaviour are cause for alarm,” Manvel
Sargsyan said. “No one knows what future awaits it. Armenia’s voice will
be of secondary importance in the union since we were coerced into
joining it.”
Alexander Arzumanyan, a former foreign minister now representing the
Free Democrats Party in parliament, agrees that accession is the wrong
decision at the wrong time. “At a time when our partner Russia is isolated and there’s no hope
that it will enter into constructive dialogue with the West, we are
planning to join a union that is under sanctions,” he said.
Recalling Armenia’s the close relationship with the late Boris
Yeltsin’s administration in the 1990s, Arzumanyan said it “took Russia
in a direction we could predict and it maintained excellent relations
with the EU and NATO. That was a different Russia.” Now, he continued, “We have chosen a European model of statehood
founded on the free market, human rights and the rule of law. The model
now operating in the Customs Union replicates the pattern of the Soviet,
coercive state.”
Source: http://iwpr.net/report-news/armenias-eurasian-deal-sell-out-or-fair-trade
АРМЯНО-РОССИЙСКИЕ ОТНОШЕНИЯ: НАСКОЛЬКО АДЕКВАТЕН ВЗГЛЯД ИЗ ВАШИНГТОНА?
За считанные дни до решения вопроса о вступлении Армении в Евразийский
экономический союз, когда миссия МВФ в Армении выступает с откровенными
угрозами по адресу властей, а прозападные интернет-ресурсы перешли в
своей пропаганде практически на визг, американские и армянские аналитики
запустили в оборот примечательный доклад. Речь идёт о коллективной
работе нескольких авторов под эгидой «Политического форума Армении»
(Policy Forum Armenia, PFA). Напомним, в начале июля эта организация
совместно с американским Atlantic Council провела в Вашингтоне закрытый
семинар на тему отношений между Арменией и Западом и видения будущего
Кавказа. Согласно официальной информации, «семинар был основан в мае
2013-го года на основании обсуждений, состоявшихся на тему отношений
Армения – НАТО, объединив известных политологов, заинтересованных в
разработке политики в Армении и на Кавказе. В обсуждении приняли участие
высокопоставленные представители Госдепартамента США, Пентагона, Совета
национальной безопасности, представители важнейших экспертных центров,
находящихся в Вашингтоне». Как говорится, и пусть бы, безусловно, каждый
имеет право на свой видение, в том числе и организация, которую
правильнее было бы назвать, скорее, «Политическим форумом Америки для
Армении»… И даже более – видение это тем более интересно на фоне
событий, разворачивающихся на Ближнем Востоке, на Украине, да и на самом
Кавказе тоже…
Словом, экспертный материал, который апологеты поспешили окрестить «дорожной картой отношений Армении и Запада», обращает на себя внимание не только временем своего появления на свет. Содержащиеся в нём оценки и выдвинутые сценарии дальнейшего развития процессов на Южном Кавказе, активным участником которых остаётся Армения, заслуживают, как представляется, весьма серьёзного внимания.
Прежде всего, бросается в глаза то обстоятельство, что доклад вдоволь изобилует пропагандистскими клише, которые в избытке представлены в дискурсе американских экспертов, занятых исследованием постсоветского пространства. На южнокавказском направлении аналитики США никогда не отличались ни особой посвящённостью, ни выдвижением конструктивных идей, объективность которых была бы подтверждена практикой текущих и перспективных процессов в регионе. Многие из наработок заокеанских «знатоков» Закавказья черпаются едва ли не исключительно из общения с местными политологами. Особенно с теми, которые в совершенстве овладели техникой преподнесения своим американским коллегам региональной «фактуры» в том виде, который мил на слух вашингтонским специалистам, в той или иной степени сопричастным к актуальным проектам США в Черноморско-Кавказском регионе.
Что хотели сказать эти люди докладом под громким названием «Армения и Запад: новое видение для Кавказа»? По сути, одну главную вещь, востребованность в которой в Белом доме, на Капитолии, в Пентагоне и Объединённом комитете начальников штабов США в последние месяцы резко возросла. Это незамысловатая мысль о том, что Россия на Южном Кавказе – деструктивная сила. Подтверждения тому изыскиваются и под призмой армяно-российских отношений. Именно на связях стратегического партнёрства Москвы и Еревана заострён коллективный труд анонимных авторов из PFA.
Словом, экспертный материал, который апологеты поспешили окрестить «дорожной картой отношений Армении и Запада», обращает на себя внимание не только временем своего появления на свет. Содержащиеся в нём оценки и выдвинутые сценарии дальнейшего развития процессов на Южном Кавказе, активным участником которых остаётся Армения, заслуживают, как представляется, весьма серьёзного внимания.
Прежде всего, бросается в глаза то обстоятельство, что доклад вдоволь изобилует пропагандистскими клише, которые в избытке представлены в дискурсе американских экспертов, занятых исследованием постсоветского пространства. На южнокавказском направлении аналитики США никогда не отличались ни особой посвящённостью, ни выдвижением конструктивных идей, объективность которых была бы подтверждена практикой текущих и перспективных процессов в регионе. Многие из наработок заокеанских «знатоков» Закавказья черпаются едва ли не исключительно из общения с местными политологами. Особенно с теми, которые в совершенстве овладели техникой преподнесения своим американским коллегам региональной «фактуры» в том виде, который мил на слух вашингтонским специалистам, в той или иной степени сопричастным к актуальным проектам США в Черноморско-Кавказском регионе.
Что хотели сказать эти люди докладом под громким названием «Армения и Запад: новое видение для Кавказа»? По сути, одну главную вещь, востребованность в которой в Белом доме, на Капитолии, в Пентагоне и Объединённом комитете начальников штабов США в последние месяцы резко возросла. Это незамысловатая мысль о том, что Россия на Южном Кавказе – деструктивная сила. Подтверждения тому изыскиваются и под призмой армяно-российских отношений. Именно на связях стратегического партнёрства Москвы и Еревана заострён коллективный труд анонимных авторов из PFA.
Себя «форумчане» характеризуют представителями «прагматического идеализма, способными проводить определённую самостоятельную политику, направленную на интеграцию интересов исторической Родины с глобальной политикой США». Армения при желании может вести действительно независимую политику, путь к которой лежит через развитие отношений с США и НАТО, уверены они. Главной же преградой на пути прагматично-идеалистического движения республики к «светлому» американо-натовскому будущему является, конечно же, Россия.
После 3 сентября 2013 года, когда официальный Ереван заявил о своём решении вступить в ЕАЭС, республика-партнёр России в регионе потеряла последние остатки своего суверенитета. Данный тезис проглядывается в каждом абзаце той части исследования, которая посвящена армяно-российским отношениям. Власти закавказской республики сделали стратегическую ошибку, ввергнув себя в объятия евразийского интеграционного блока, где «первую скрипку» играет Россия. Действия же Кремля в отношении армянской стороны характеризуются в терминах принуждения к принятию удобных для Москвы решений. По версии «докладчиков», евразийский выбор уже принёс Армении позор (понятное дело, в интерпретации евроатлантистов), а войну республика неминуемо получит при дальнейшем своём движении по выбранному 3 сентября прошлого года вектору.
Интересно, что о целесообразности или ущербности для Армении евразийской интеграционной перспективы с особым рвение разглагольствуют американцы, а не, скажем, европейцы. Ведь в вариантах построения продвинутых связей с многосторонними институтами у Армении значились лишь Евразийский экономический либо же Европейский Союз, но никак не, например, Североамериканская зона свободной торговли. Кстати, авторы доклада признаются в неэффективности запущенных в республике программ экономического содействия со стороны американских фондов, среди которых прямо упоминается USAID.
Одним из наиболее примечательных сюжетов доклада является то, что в нём смещены акценты с поддержания регионального статус-кво, под которым понимается, прежде всего, сохранение баланса сил в зоне карабахского конфликта, в сторону его возможного разбалансирования. Нынешняя патовая ситуация якобы играет на руку лишь одной внешней силе – России, а значит необходимо сломать сформировавшийся за последние 20 лет региональный расклад сил, интересов и предпочтений. В эпицентр подобного южнокавказского «переформатирования», разумеется, выводятся армяно-российские отношения. Они, дескать, архаичны, избыточно доверительны, отягощены коррумпированностью и другими регрессивными характеристиками – так, по крайней мере, следует из прочтения текста экспертной работы. Россия представлена в качестве одиозной силы, которая вооружает Азербайджан средствами ведения наступательной войны и способствует депопуляции Армении. На то, что поставки российской продукции военного назначения единственному союзнику в регионе на порядок превосходят объёмы реализуемых Москвой и Баку оружейных контрактов, армянские адепты западного пути внимания стараются не обращать. Также как и на то, что отправляемые их соотечественниками, трудовыми мигрантами из России средства составляют более 80 % от всей массы поступающих в республику трансфертов частных лиц, что формирует до 15 % ВВП (!) страны.
Рассуждения о деструктивной роли России в регионе удивительны особенно после известного обострения ситуации в зоне карабахского конфликта летом этого года. Где были американцы и европейцы, когда российская дипломатия на высшем политическом уровне в самые сжатые сроки организовала встречу в Сочи с целями безотложного кризисного реагирования? Впрочем, что за вопрос… Конечно, они были заняты выдумыванием новых санкций против Москвы. Бить мерами торгово-экономического ограничения – это верх конструктивности. А гасить пламя новой войны в конфликтогенном регионе, увы, это в восприятии «белых воротничков» из Вашингтона является неприкрытым проявлением «российского империализма».
Вступая в ЕАЭС, Армения обрекает себя на роль безмолвного сателлита России, что, по мнению авторов доклада, нашло одно из своих наиболее зримых воплощений в случае с Крымом. Дескать, исключительно под нажимом Москвы армянская дипломатия голосовала на Генассамблее ООН против известной резолюции в поддержку территориальной целостности Украины. О том, что иное решение Армении вокруг Крыма означало бы откровенный негатив для Нагорного Карабаха, западноцентричные эксперты из Еревана стараются не замечать. Как и то, что все инициируемые американцами или с их подачи разговоры о потере кем-то суверенитета, его передачи из одних рук в другие – от лукавого. Ни одна другая глобальная сила современного мира не сделала больше для крушения понятия «государственный суверенитет», чем Соединённые Штаты. Американцы не отбирают суверенитет у ставших их геополитическими мишенями государств, они его просто уничтожают. Афганистан, Ирак, Ливия, Сирия – это уже во многом хрестоматийные случаи. Но есть и огромное число других примеров, в которых роль американской администрации скрыта от глаз широкой общественности. Суверена ли, например, Франция, крупнейшая страна Западной Европы в статусе ядерной державы, которой из США возбраняется закрыть сделку с Россией по боевым кораблям типа «Мистраль», и от которой зависит благополучие нескольких тысяч рабочих на судоверфи в Сен-Назере? Если даже такая «глыба», как Пятая республика (и даже весь Европейский Союз, как следует из недавних откровенных высказываний Джо Байдена), не может игнорировать «укорительный взор» военной сверхдержавы, то что тогда говорить, к примеру, о суверенитете ряда восточноевропейских стран?! Оценочные суждения об уступках государственного суверенитета – явно неблагодарная тема из уст американских аналитиков, которым норовят предложить свои мысли и услуги армянские политологи…
Возвращаясь к вопросу размывания Соединёнными Штатами и их партнёрами на Южном Кавказе регионального статус-кво, нельзя не обратить внимание на одно из положений комментируемого нами доклада. В нём представлены три сценария развития ситуации вокруг процесса урегулирования карабахского конфликта. Один из них – вопиюще невежественен. В соответствии с ним, возможна ситуация, когда Армения сохраняет контроль над Нагорным Карабахом, одновременно, дословно по докладу, «формируя партнёрство с Азербайджаном для предотвращения дальнейшей дезинтеграции последнего». Только в извращённом восприятии нынешнего положения дел в противостоянии Армении и Азербайджана мог зародиться и предстать в виде идеи в общем-то серьёзной организации PFA подобный сценарий. Примечательно, что об этой формулировке («...However, in pursuit of its own interests, Armenia could help secure Azerbaijan from further disintegrating… by forming a security alliance with Baku...») русскоязычные интерпретаторы доклада деликатно не упоминают. Вместо добросовестного цитирования первоисточника они пытаются подсунуть «самый привлекательный с точки зрения Армении сценарий – такое развитие экономических и оборонных ресурсов, которое позволит не только сохранить контроль над Карабахом и стабильность в регионе, но и будет способствовать возникновению южно-кавказского экономического рынка». Как говорится, почувствуйте разницу!
Повторимся, появление данного шедевра аналитической мысли отнюдь не случайно. Для авторов исследования главная мишень – это армяно-российские отношения. И на пути их обращения вспять или, как минимум, максимального осложнения, в особенности перед финишной прямой вступления закавказской республики в ЕАЭС, можно намекнуть и на такой поворот региональной «событийности» в будущем. Очевидно, что в понимании авторов доклада внешней силой, которая будет формировать «армяно-азербайджанское партнёрство» на неадекватной южнокавказским реалиям платформе будут США.
Таким образом, для вытеснения России из региона все средства хороши – вплоть до конкретных угроз десуверенизации армянской государственности. Трудно понять того, что они встанут во весь рост – если, конечно, общественные и государственные структуры Армении под патронажем американцев приступят, в ситуации неурегулированного нагорно-карабахского конфликта, к формированию с «партнёрства» с коллегами из Азербайджана в целях оберега последнего от дезинтеграции…
