tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post1777126669851026884..comments2024-03-28T04:09:32.493+03:00Comments on Heralding the Rise of Russia: Armenia on the eve of its presidential elections - February, 2013Arevordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09926782646398360125noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-85434713788237686262013-03-05T00:09:00.056+04:002013-03-05T00:09:00.056+04:00Interesting stuff, thks for your take on the situa...Interesting stuff, thks for your take on the situation. -Ararat<br />Ararathttp://armeniancauseandeffect.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-84597576173681694862013-02-22T21:08:54.924+04:002013-02-22T21:08:54.924+04:00Come to think of it, I've visited that site th...Come to think of it, I've visited that site that you provided to me and the Azeris think Aliyev was the founder of independent Azerbaijan, not Ayaz Mutabilov. Jerrikohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07519536290198165291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-35303225292862062082013-02-22T11:14:49.641+04:002013-02-22T11:14:49.641+04:00@Jerriko
What I would like to add to what Anonymo...@Jerriko<br /><br />What I would like to add to what Anonymous said is that the so called "khojaly massacre" propaganda got more momentum after the first half of the 2000s. Until that, the azeris did not have much "proof". What they started doing is that they started taking pictures/photos of people massacred in Kosovo, Afghanistan or Iraq and represented them as "innocent azerbaijanis massacred in Khojaly"... <br /><br />azerbaijan's entire "history" is based on "anti-Armenianism". They have no history in reality, all they have is that there once was a "greater azerbaijan" which got divided by the evil Persians, Armenians and Russians. Then later they were somehow always "massacred" by Armenians(although they were angels, they "NEVER" attacked Armenians in 1905, 1909, 1918-1921, 1988-1994)... There you have it, history of azerbaijan in just a few lines... <br /><br />Svetianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-42084653645900245542013-02-22T08:41:20.507+04:002013-02-22T08:41:20.507+04:00Jerriko,
Please go to the following website to re...Jerriko,<br /><br />Please go to the following website to read more about the falsifications about Khojaly<br /><br />http://xocali.net/EN/ayaz-mutalibov.html<br /><br />The "hype" with regards to what happened there, is made to "counter" the Armenian Genocide (in the idiotic eyes of the Turks/Azeris). Armenians were massacred in large numbers in Sumgait, Kirovoabad and in Baku, does this have any potential consequences for the Caucasus or the world? No. More than 1.5 MILLION, not ten, not hundred, not thousand Armenians were massacred the last century. Did anybody care? No. <br /><br />This just shows how barbaric and facistists the Turks are, as they quickly call what happened in Khojaly to a few hundred civilians a genocide (actually, they fired on their own civilians, the first president of Azerbaijan said this and it has been investigated by many journalists), however still deny what happened not to a hundred, to a thousand, or two-thousand not to ten-thousand or fifteen-thousand Armenians, not to fifty-thousand or one-hundred thousand Armenians, not to three-hundred thousand or four-hundred thousand Armenians, not to half a million Armenians, not to one-million Armenians but what happened to ONE-POINT-FIVE-MILLION-ARMENIANS!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-69240668281458582262013-02-21T07:53:50.041+04:002013-02-21T07:53:50.041+04:00Arevordi, Svetia and Sarkis86. There was something...Arevordi, Svetia and Sarkis86. There was something that perked my interests and I'm sure it should be of great concern. What do you guys know about an incident in the town of Khojaly, Artsakh/Nagorno-Karbakh? From what I can gather, would the commemoration of this kind of massacre have any potential consequences for the Caucasus? I'm sorry if I brought this up but on facebook there is a post with regards to this tragedy. Jerrikohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07519536290198165291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-68971881351002664942013-02-19T01:50:47.435+04:002013-02-19T01:50:47.435+04:00To Aroutin:
SCO has the possibility to expand and...To Aroutin:<br /><br />SCO has the possibility to expand and become an economic union along with a security pact. I believe this is the direction Moscow would like to take the organization toward, but as I mentioned in my previous post, Beijing is more hesitant.<br /><br />As for a common economic space being created in Armenia and Georgia, well that would be a win-win for both states since one side would compliment the other and vice versa. However, for that to occur, we need Russia to fully kick out the Western and Turkish political forces. They have done a good job over the past 5 years, but more work remains to be done. A Armenian economic union with Georgia would significantly undercut Azerbaijan, and seal the deal on that regimes isolation. We can only hope!<br /><br />L.G.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-59239177985494052712013-02-16T01:53:03.749+04:002013-02-16T01:53:03.749+04:00Based on my observations of the pre-election campa...Based on my observations of the pre-election campaign, our president doesn't seem to be having much experience in good campaigning. Although he has good capabilities of leadership, Charisma however seems to be his weak point. Svetianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-5521369471524634162013-02-15T08:57:08.517+04:002013-02-15T08:57:08.517+04:00https://rt.com/politics/military-conflict-gerasimo...https://rt.com/politics/military-conflict-gerasimov-threat-196/<br /><br /><b>Russia may be drawn into resource wars in future – army chief</b><br /><br /><i>Russia may become drawn into military conflicts as world powers begin to vie for energy resources in the next two decades, said Valery Gerasimov, the head of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.<br /><br />By 2030, the level of “existing and potential threats will significantly increase,” Gerasimov said during a security conference in Moscow, according to Interfax.<br /><br />Leading world powers will soon begin to struggle for fuel, energy and labor resources, as well as new markets in which to sell their goods; some powers will “actively use their military potential,” he explained.<br /><br />He also observed that the sphere of combat is moving away from traditional battlegrounds – such as land and sea – to aerospace and information. Conflict zones in North Africa and the Middle East point to such changes in the use of military force, the general said.<br /><br />The role of non-military instruments is also increasing, including information wars, secret operations and the use of the “protest potential of a population,” Gerasimov said, adding that such non-military means are often more effective than the use of military power.<br /><br />Given these challenges, Russia’s possession of state-of-the-art weaponry is a “vital condition for the country's existence,” Gerasimov said.<br /><br />By 2015, the number of modern weapons and military hardware across Russia’s Armed Forces will reach at least 30 percent. And by the end of the decade, all guided missile brigades will be supplied with Iskander tactical missile systems.<br /><br />However, priority is still being given to strategic nuclear forces to ensure deterrence, Gerasimov said. Russia plans to re-arm its nuclear arsenal with modern Topol-M and RS-24 Yars strategic missiles, new submarines, and modernized Tupolev Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers.</i><br /><br />This blog has been touching on the topics spoken of by the Russian General in the above topic for years!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-90135033912982893882013-02-12T19:43:07.342+04:002013-02-12T19:43:07.342+04:00I wrote quite a long comment, and when trying to p...I wrote quite a long comment, and when trying to previewing puff it went all away.<br /><br />So briefly, thanks L.G. for your correction and contribution. Somehow I still think SCO also has a large economic dimension. Intent for a free trade zone, proposals for a new financial system as well as China assisting the member countries who got affected in 2009 crisis.<br /><br />Bottomline, just as food for thought, I am entertaining the idea of Armenia being at the crossroad of two vital corridors, East-West and North-South.<br />Both projects have gained significant momentum lately the North South was boosted by the Highway development in Armenia, Southern Railway and Abkhazia link.<br /><br />On the other hand, East West project also is at advanced stages such as Nabucco or whatever thinned version of it, Kars-Baku railway.<br /><br />It is conceivable that Georgia + Armenia as a common economic space would be a good opportunity to maintain independence and a friendly transit corridor for various powers.Aroutinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-53657762698123668562013-02-09T05:43:07.930+04:002013-02-09T05:43:07.930+04:00It looks like the things in the region tend to bec...It looks like the things in the region tend to became "hot". Do the very recent anti-<br />Saakashvili in Tbilisi, reported with perceived chagrin by the Western media, "herald" the impending consignment of the "pro Western, NATO, American, EU and God knows who else" to the rubbish heap of History?<br />What about the "stepping-down" of the "gregarious, charismatic, art-collecting, jazz-lover former activist for Jewish causes" Ambassador to USA, Temur Yakobashvili? Because he cannot get along with the new Prime-Minister, the "eccentric billionaire who made his fortune in Russia"? <br />Russians would gladly toast a bottle or two of Georgian wine.<br />Romanian AnonymusAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-73811425551140275632013-02-09T02:58:59.813+04:002013-02-09T02:58:59.813+04:00A factoid to present to Armenians that constantly ...A factoid to present to Armenians that constantly speak of emigration.<br /><br />From 1990-1997 around 134,000 people left Georgia each year. That's over a million. Emigration is still an issue for Georgia, just as much as it is for azerbaijan.<br /><br />Also, the Georgian economy and monetary union was so jacked up that in 1994 the then president, Shevardnadze asked to join the ruble zone. Russia declined!<br /><br />L.G.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-90802851872197788902013-02-08T04:32:28.625+04:002013-02-08T04:32:28.625+04:00[....]
4) Russia doesn't have nearly as many ...[....]<br /><br />4) Russia doesn't have nearly as many levers in the Middle east as the West. Just counting the number of states in the region which are in the Western camp and comparing that to the pro-Russian camp is enough to show one the serious uphill battle Russia would face should it try to 'shape' the Middle east. I bring this up because I think we must not overstate Russia's abilities in the Middle east. This region is prone to conflict for reasons entirely unrelated to Russia, reasons stemming from religion and the European colonialists who drew up the borders 80+ years ago. Moscow will do what it can and must, Iran will do the same, but the geopolitical course of the region also depends on the people who have shown a new propensity to rebel, especially when they are not paid off like the Arab citizens of the Gulf Monarchies. Russia can only do so much, and more importantly, it needs to fully consolidate its positions in the near abroad, which takes priority over the Middle east.<br /><br />L.G.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-43753286011020360832013-02-08T04:31:37.309+04:002013-02-08T04:31:37.309+04:00Some inter-related points I thought of as I was re...Some inter-related points I thought of as I was reading the comments; mostly those left by Arevordi and Aroutin.<br /><br />1) Russia intends to integrate its near abroad in several ways. Different tactics are used depending on the country: energy with Ukraine, trade with Georgia, international cover with Belarus, etc. With that said, they also are working to shore up their restive regions in the North Caucasus, if they can't keep that area in check, it will be more difficult to consolidate their gains in the near abroad (Caucasus, Ukraine/Belarus and Central Asia).<br /><br />2) PM Sargsyan brought up a great point, indeed the economies of the current members of the Customs Union are quite different from Armenia's economy. The closest economy is that of Belarus, which is heavily dependent on agriculture and heavy machinery production. As you can see Armenia is not big on either of those. This is a hurdle to joining the Union but certainly not an insurmountable one. Armenia acting as the financial, IT, and health sector oriented economy of the Union could very well serve the economic diversification process that's currently underway in Russia. During Soviet times Armenia's economy was more on the hi-tech side relative to those of the other member states. So the precedent of Armenia's soviet economy as well as the talent of the old and new generations are key.<br /><br />3)I disagree with Aroutin's notion that there are three economic zones. First, SCO is not a economic organization. They are concerned about security and keeping the West/US at bay in the important Central Asia region, the so called 'Heartland'. China has also used the SCO to gradually expand into Central Asia without making the Russians feel threatened. Russia sees it as another vehicle to tie the stans to its orbit while at the same time prevent too much Western penetration. Although Russia would like to see the SCO move closer to the CSTO and the Eurasian Union (EAU), officials in Beijing are hesitant because currently they have a good thing going, bi-laterally speaking, with all the Central Asian republics. And traditionally China has shied away from making military pacts. Also, if one looks at their foreign policy it emphasizes the bi-lateral over the multi-lateral more so than other countries. Moreover, China's economy is heavily dependent on the West, they are in a bind. Second, the EU is in serious trouble. They may or may not collapse, but the notion (chimera) of an ever expanding and prosperous union of European states is finished. What some have speculated may occur is the eventual slimming down of the EU, to its core i.e. wealthy members. Third, the EAU is still on the drawing board, which means there are a lot of kinks to be ironed out. It's no secret that there are many potential benefits to Armenia should the EAU come to fruition and should Armenia join. This is made all the more true with Georgia's new and sane government running the show in Tiflis. The real loser is azerbaijan because they are in danger of becoming isolated, with Georgia in Russia's fold, baku loses its connection to turkey. This in turn weakens their ability to manipulate their cousins in ankara, like they did in regards to the protocols, and opening borders with Armenia.<br /><br />[....]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-68363559553584622082013-02-08T04:07:37.421+04:002013-02-08T04:07:37.421+04:00@ Romanian Anonymous
I now see what you mean. I w...@ Romanian Anonymous<br /><br />I now see what you mean. I was not following the investigation in Bulgaria. You are right, it is very suspect now that I look at it. False flag operations are much more common than we think, and the Anglo-American-Zionist alliance has perfected such operations in recent decades. As I said in the beginning of this blog commentary, the assassination attempt against Paruyr Hayrikian could very well have been a Western hit and it can be considered a false flag operation because the man in question has been one of Washington's longest serving representatives in Armenia.<br /><br />@ Jerriko<br /><br />Serj Sargsyan is assured to win the elections. Even foreign polling have revealed that over 60% of the Armenian electorate will be voting for him. The same polling suggests that President Sargsyan's closest rival is Raffi Hovanissian (representing Washington) at around 10%. In my opinion, Serj Sargsyan will not run for a third term. I highly doubt that they will change the laws to allow him to run again. I would want him to run either. He has set a good foundation for the nation, but now we need others from the same political/ideological clique to commence the building process. There are some indicators that they are preparing Yerevan's former Mayor Karen Karapetyan for Armenia's presidency. Karapetyan is a very professional, very intelligent, very educated and a very wealthy technocrat with very close ties in Moscow. I would be very-very happy if Karapetyan takes over the presidency after Sargsyan.Arevordihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09926782646398360125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-16664368726150441352013-02-07T18:55:41.455+04:002013-02-07T18:55:41.455+04:00Arevordi:
The example about which deadliest arsen...Arevordi:<br /><br />The example about which deadliest arsenal the United States has is all too true. I believe that this is an example of 'benevolent assimilation' in which the entire population of a targeted country is assimilated into a bigger society without realizing that they've been conquered. In addition, the US has also made its reputation for sending English language teachers around the world to teach foreigners the English language, and spreading the Globalist agenda. <br /><br />Going back on the topic of Armenian elections, assuming that Sargsyan wins this one, is he allowed to run again in 2017 (assuming that Armenia goes by the four year term in the Presidential office) or does he have to appoint a potential successor within his own party to run for the Presidency?Jerrikohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07519536290198165291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-39342559659992322402013-02-07T09:22:00.821+04:002013-02-07T09:22:00.821+04:00Rather musings of my own after the "revelatio...Rather musings of my own after the "revelation" that one of the "terrorists" was holding an Australian passport, "fueling fears of home-grown terrorism" in the Australian media. Allegedly he was living in Lebanon. The photo that appeared in the media make him look rather "white". But probably you have still in mind the case of the use by Mossad of stolen Australian passports (and not only)in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai in 2010. Current practice in false-flag operation.<br />Yes the similitudes are rather that they both are false-flag operations. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-23081871708929637752013-02-07T08:42:25.986+04:002013-02-07T08:42:25.986+04:00@ Romanian Anonymus
Well, we know they are lookin...@ Romanian Anonymus<br /><br />Well, we know they are looking to put pressure on Hezbollah and on Yerevan (for two different yet somewhat converging geostrategic reasons). Other than that, there are no links between the two incidents. What makes you think there may be a link? Arevordihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09926782646398360125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-51774887145946391392013-02-07T06:16:59.942+04:002013-02-07T06:16:59.942+04:00Would you see a link between the "assassinati...Would you see a link between the "assassination" attempt on Paruyr Hayrikian and the "admission" by the Bulgarian Govt. that the bus blast in Burgas was the work of "Hezbollah"? <br />Romanian AnonymusAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-40872747145732588732013-02-07T01:06:15.725+04:002013-02-07T01:06:15.725+04:00@ Aroutin
Needless to say you have a very interes...@ Aroutin<br /><br />Needless to say you have a very interesting profession. It was obvious you were an analyst of some sort. <br /><br />Although we don't have anything remotely close to the global levers of control the Western world has evolved during the past century, I nonetheless believe that we Armenians can still create our realities. We need to assess the world around us properly and navigate its waters accordingly. The independence we have today is a chance we have been waiting for for one thousand years. It's time to be proactive, constructive, positive, objective and patient. Armenia's future is in our hands. How we set its foundational stones today will determine how the republic will develop.<br /><br />For many years I have been saying that Armenia's stands poised today to become a major financial and trade hub as a result of its good relationship with Moscow and Tehran. Moreover, I have been saying that Russia will be in the driver's seat in the 21 century - and that I want to see Armenia at the very least in its passenger seat.<br /><br />But too many Armenians have been too busy chasing "oligarchs" and Western fairytales instead. The nonsense about "Democracy" and "Rights" are red herrings meant to have us Armenians perennially chasing our tails and getting nowhere.<br /><br />Addressing this frustrating nuance is one of the fundamental intents of this blog.<br /><br />Anyway, I'll leave you with this:<br /><br />A high level American officer once asked his soldiers: What is the most powerful weapon the US possesses?<br /><br />One soldier replied: Nuclear missiles!<br /><br />The officer said no.<br /><br />Another soldier replied: Aircraft carriers!<br /><br />The officer said no.<br /><br />Another soldier replied: Submarines!<br /><br />The officer said no.<br /><br />Another soldier replied: The American soldier!<br /><br />The officer said no.<br /><br />Seeing that the soldiers were giving up, the officer answered his question by saying: The most powerful weapon in US inventory is: CNN, MTV, Hollywood, Coca-Cola, Jeans, McDonalds and US Dollars.<br /><br />He said: With these weapons we can invade every single nation on earth and they won't even know that they got invaded.<br /><br />The officer went on to add: If they (i.e. global sheeple) want to dance to our music, want to live in our country, speak our language, watch our movies, attend our universities, eat our foods, wear our cloths, trade in our money and get their information from our sources, how will they ever think of us as their enemy?<br /><br />Social engineering, mental conditioning, psychological-operations and propaganda are the most powerful yet least understood weapons in the world.<br /><br />Thank you for your words of support.Arevordihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09926782646398360125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-51416978626368102622013-02-07T00:48:27.242+04:002013-02-07T00:48:27.242+04:00@ Romanian Anonymus
It's amazing for me how m...@ Romanian Anonymus<br /><br />It's amazing for me how much of what you said applies to Armenia and Armenians today; all you have to do is take your comments, replace the name Romania with Armenia and Hungary with Turkey. I reiterate: Western institutions have created an alternative reality for the sheeple of this world. The Western world is using its levers in language, film industry, music, education, academia, international organizations, information media, finance, trade, etc., to systematically impose their self-serving sociopolitical and socioeconomic model upon the world. Alarmingly, very few of us are able to see through this social engineering and mental conditioning.<br /><br />Thank you for your kind words about us. We Armenians reciprocate the warm feelings and respect. Romania has indeed been one of the safe-havens for Armenians for centuries. I also have Romanian-Armenian friends and relatives.<br /><br />Be well and thank you again.Arevordihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09926782646398360125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-35584592758060158112013-02-06T08:54:24.273+04:002013-02-06T08:54:24.273+04:00Dear friend Arevordi,
I hope you wouldn't min...Dear friend Arevordi,<br /><br />I hope you wouldn't mind calling you a friend, but your instant understanding of my willingly funny (tongue in cheek) remarks showed me that we are on the same wavelength. <br />And that is not also mere coincidence. Armenia and Romania have many things in common, they both are byproducts of a very similar history, they both are situated at vitally important strategic points - gates to the vast expanses of Russia - , Armenians and Romanians have always been on friendly terms (Armenians found shelter in the Romanian Principalities fleeing the Ottoman onslaught, a Moldovan Prince of Armenian descent - Ion Voda Armeanul - was a hero of the fight against the Turks, many Armenians became outstanding personalities in Romania, many mixed marriages - I personally have many friends of Armenian descent and I can find even some Armenians sitting on the branches of my genealogical tree). Charles Aznavour had relatives in Romania, the famous Gulbenkian had relatives in Constanta in whose house I was spending my holidays on the Black Sea shores, etc.<br />Now, obviously I took Soros as a metaphor of something more sinister. But he is instrumental in the promotion of the image of Romania as a country below the level of an African country, where everything is gloomy, dirty, dusty, muddy, grey, where everybody is desperately poor, dishonest, corrupt (of course),unreliable, idiotic, bordering insanity. He pays lavish scholarships to train future "intelligentsia" in his Budapest University, he sponsors the "intelligentsia" to make them write disparaging articles, make horrible films about Romania (hailed at Cannes!), to describe the situation in Romania as if it is on the brink of collapse, that "the Russian hand" is everywhere and so on and so forth. For Romania he plays a special role. He is "Hungarian". Romania and Hungary have a disputed territory among themselves, Transylvania which was that part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire which went to Romania after the collapse of the Empire in 1918. Part of the Romanian "intelligentsia", payed by Soros, play that tune : Romania (the East, Russia, Soviet Union, Putin)is a failed state (too much corruption!), only Hungary (the West) can save it. Therefore Romania must renounce Transylvania! (Karabagh?)<br />On the other hand, my experience after many visits to Romania since 1990 was that things have steadily improved, albeit at a slower pace than we would have liked. The present situation in Romania is a far cry from what you can glean from newspapers, films, documentaries. For the better! Restaurants are full 24/7, Churches are full every Sunday, one can barely move in Bucharest because of the number of cars that double every second year (many locally produced and exported on "four continents"), public transport functions in time - the only delays are caused by the glut of private cars), markets are full of produces (everywhere in the country - I traveled all around for many years already). I don't know people who did not spend a holiday abroad at least twice! But Apocalypse is around the corner!!! (unless we do the bidding of the West - in that particular case the installation of the anti-missile shield, annoyingly enough on lands expropriated from my family in the time of Communism!!!).<br />And when I point these things to my friends living in Romania and who made it big, they ask me with a puzzled face: "Have you forgotten where you left from?". And when I point that they live better than me who live in the West they get angry, really angry and accuse me that I am a Russian agent!<br /><br />Keep the good works,<br />Romanian Anonymus aka VladAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-84013127733819216042013-02-06T01:35:04.055+04:002013-02-06T01:35:04.055+04:00Arevordi, I'm glad you find my comments intere...Arevordi, I'm glad you find my comments interesting. Economy and finance are not my domain either, but rather geographical analysis. I am a satellite data analyst by profession and currently work for a corporation involved in certification of goods, inspections etc.<br /><br />When commenting in public it is well if sometimes we do not reveal true intents, but some distortions could serve well considering that there may be enemies scanning your pages as well.<br /><br />My geopolitical assessment for the present situation that touches partly also your thoughts on the Abkhazia railway, is as follows.<br /><br />I agree with you that Armenia stands today at an extraordinary opportunity that is about to transform this tiny irrelevant state into one of the most powerful centers in the world.<br /><br />The vision of Putin is perfect for Armenia, and I think many high level people are aware of this, but hesitating to reveal the plan.<br /><br />If Armenia joins the Eurasian Union, Yerevan will be at the frontier of the Russian empire connecting it to a very exceptional region.<br /><br />Think of Russia having its own version of Brussels two hours flight from Moscow, Yerevan is at the center of capitals like Baghdad, Kuweit, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Tehran, Doha, Dubai, Baku, Batumi, Constantinople, Novorossiyk, Kiyev, Astrakhan, Astana to name a few.<br />All the capitals I listed are within 2 hours flight from Yerevan and are connected through landroads or railway (and pipelines) in varying degrees of development stage. <br /><br />If we believe that Russia will manage to stabilize the Middle East with its own terms, specifically wrt to Syria , then we are looking at an era where some borders might have to adjust, some hanging issues must be resolved, for a globalized world with open borders to realize.<br /><br />So having Yerevan on board of the Eurasian Union brings Moscow to the center of such giant resources as well as huge market potential.<br /><br />Additionally it is a hub for land links to the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Persian,Caspian and Black seas. Abkhazian lies on one of those links, as well as Tbilisi, no surprise our beloved Georgian "brothers" got all yippiey enthusiastic when they heard about the Eurasian Union. Question: how are they going to explain the change of heart to Nato and EU oh..and US, one more, there Turkic and Zionist masters? Will be tough job explaining for Ivanishivili.<br /><br />Putting all these facts into the background, I think such scenario planning could result in more than a one bullet through the elbow, but it can even lead to setting whole countries on fire. <br /><br />here's a simple illustration to this scenario<br />http://postimage.org/image/mkby5381r/<br /><br />I hope this input would help you as mush as it is worthy or not. A patriot and intelligent person like yourself knows what to write in public domain. <br />Let's never be naive and write only for honesty sake, but also consider how to trick enemies and how to gain hearts of friends.<br /><br />I really enjoy your blog and reading it regularly, excellent work and I appreciate the time you take for writing.Aroutinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-27185339888736030912013-02-05T23:48:28.966+04:002013-02-05T23:48:28.966+04:00@ Romanian Anonymous
As an Armenian, your observa...@ Romanian Anonymous<br /><br />As an Armenian, your observations of your homeland for me was funny, revealing, troubling and all too familiar at the same time. They (Western institutions and not necessarily Soros) control global levers with which they have managed to harness the sentiments of the global masses. This is a serious threat to global stability and the reason why Western Globalism need to be fought against. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this page - like I said, they are painfully too familiar for us Armenians.<br /><br />@ Anonymous (February 5)<br /><br />Yes, the situation Beijing has with its Turkic/Islamic peoples in western China is potentially something Armenian officials would be able to exploit. Whether or not our officials have the foresight or the levers/resources to do so is altogether another topic. Moreover, as long as Ankara is not involved in anyway in causing problems in that troubled region of China, there wouldn't be much of a political value for the Chinese in supporting Armenians against Turkey. Having said that, in the harsh reality Armenia finds itself in the south Caucasus, Armenia's already limited resources/abilities needs to be concentrated on winning the hearts&minds of Russian officials within the walls of the Kremlin. This in no way means Yerevan should not be seeking to foster better relations with Beijing. <br /><br />@ Aroutin<br /><br />Once again, thank you for the links and the analysis. As I said, finance/economics is my weak point. Therefore, I really appreciate your input. Please don't hesitate to comment periodically regarding economic/financial matters in the context of regional geopolitics. I prepare commentaries for this blog once or twice a month. I am currently working on a commentary about the south Caucasus railway project envisioned by Moscow. I will look forward to your input.Arevordihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09926782646398360125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-9015076623066982552013-02-05T19:14:21.468+04:002013-02-05T19:14:21.468+04:00Just for clarification, what I refer to as a possi...Just for clarification, what I refer to as a possible "Common Economic Space" in Armenia is a scenario slightly similar to the "Hong Kong" model, a quasi free trade zone characterized by low taxation and service based economy. <br /><br />Aroutinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608996291355843279.post-15743067847945704572013-02-05T16:05:17.796+04:002013-02-05T16:05:17.796+04:00of relevance:
Putin signs law on amendments in Ar...of relevance:<br /><br />Putin signs law on amendments in Armenian-Russian agreement on preventing double taxation<br />15:28, 4 February, 2013<br /><br />http://armenpress.am/eng/news/707130/putin-signs-law-on-amendments-in-armenian-russian-agreement-on-preventing-double-taxation.html<br /><br /><br />The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin signed the law ratifying amendments in the agreement on [[[preventing double taxation of income and property]]] between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation. <br /><br />What I fail to understand here, why would Putin sign such an arrangement if he considers that Armenia must join the Customs Union? If it is true that Russia is exerting pressure on Armenia to join the Eurasian Union, the signed arrangement contradicts such an assumption.<br /><br />When Russia exerts soft pressure, it sounds something like this<br /><br />http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_02_04/No-confirmation-of-Russia-Ukraine-gas-price-deal-Peskov/ <br /><br />http://rt.com/business/news/ukraine-gas-debt-russia-092/<br /><br />http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-ukraine-natural-gas/24886171.html <br /><br />I previously mentioned that we have to keep an eye on Ukraine's moves. <br /><br />When Ukrainian businessman Oleksandr Yaroslavsky was asked if Ukraine should go East or West, Yaroslavsky showed teeth in a predator’s grin: “Where the money is!” <br /><br />“And where is that?” a journalist asked.<br /><br />“I won’t tell you.” <br /><br />http://www.kyivpost.com/opinion/op-ed/davos-ukraine-go-in-opposite-ways-319632.html<br /><br /><br />Here I highlight some statements from Tatiana Valovaya, representing the Eurasian Economic Commission<br />http://www.euractiv.com/europes-east/putin-comes-eu-eurasian-union-le-news-516419<br /><br />Valovaya made it plain that a “Common Economic Space” cannot be created between the EU and Russia, but only between the EU and the Eurasian Union.<br /><br /><br />She also said that she was ready to start “all necessary consultations” with the EU Commission in this respect.<br /><br />Valovaya said it did not matter if Kyiv had a “special relation” with the Russian-led customs union or the EU, “as long as we have this Common Economic Space between the Eurasian economic union and the European Union”.<br /><br />“For me it’s no difference if Ukraine is part of a future Eurasian economic union, or a part of a free trade agreement with the EU,” she said.<br /><br />The statements above should be read between the lines, and very often, the opposite meaning of the literal message is intended to be conveyed.<br /><br />The question is, given the choice between Yerevan or Kiev for such a Common Economic Space between Eurasian Union and European Union, what does Russia prefer? on whom do they have more leverage Armenia or Ukraine? It could be possible that Armenia and Russia are playing the same game and what we see is simply role playing?<br /><br />In this chess game, everything is for sale, I do not believe in any cultural, ethnic or religious affinities as many Armenians assume. It's all about interests and business, so better we play the game right. <br />Arevordi, one question, let's assume that Armenia fully joins the Eurasian Union, what would happen to Artsakh? Would Russia recognize it to be an non separable part of Armenia? What if later on Russia wants to exert some pressure on Baku to join the union, could they perhaps offer some concession in Artsakh to seduce them in? Aliyev would certainly score a victory if he regains Karabakh and will maintain his grip over Azerbaijan for another couple of decades.<br /><br />PS: Apologies for my long posts! I think these topics are important for Armenians to understand and debate openly.Aroutinnoreply@blogger.com