THE MOMENT TO PAY BACK DEBTS
168 Zham
June 30 2009
Armenia
Yesterday Russian Federation President Dmitriy Medvedev left for
Azerbaijan. After a meeting with Ilham Aliyev, Gazprom signed an
agreement with the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic
[SOCAR] on supply of Azerbaijan gas.
Gazprom will annually buy 500m cu. m. of Azerbaijani gas starting
from 1 January 2010. No need to mention the impact of the deal on
the Russian-Azerbaijani relations and Russia’s position on the
Nagornyy-Karabakh (NK) conflict settlement issue. Azerbaijanis
themselves speak about it openly.
Yesterday before Medvedev’s visit Azerbaijani pro-governmental
political expert Zardust Alizada said: "Baku has named its price
for the Nagornyy Karabakh – it is gas. If the Russia agrees with our
offer then I think we can sign it. But the Russia can concede us only
five-six occupied districts and the issues of Nagornyy Karabakh and
Lacin corridor might be delayed."
So, Azerbaijan negotiates the Karabakh issue with Russia. That is to
say, they, in practice, execute what I. Aliyev has said after Russian
State Duma Speaker Gryzlov said that "Armenia is Russia’s advanced
post in the region." And the sentence that "Russia can concede us
only 5-6 occupied districts" expresses the real role of the Republic
of Armenia in the Nagornyy Karabakh issue settlement and the whole
essence of its external policy.
And no need to be surprised that yesterday the Russian press was
flooded with negative articles on the Republic of Armenia. The
authors of the articles were deputies of almost all political
spectrums of the Russian State Duma. And the reason for was that the
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan awarded Mikheil Saakashvili with
decoration of honour. Thus the Russians are directly telling the
Armenians "know your place". And when in this context, we consider
Medvedev’s statement made yesterday that "the Russian Federation will
do everything possible in order to continue the advancement within
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict settlement."
Once again we are to record that it is the historical moment: we have
been set up by our Russian friends. But to blame the Russians on
this, mildly speaking, will be wrong. The Armenian authorities are
obliged to Russians for the "stability" in Armenia over the last 10
years and today it is time to return the debts: unfortunately not by
assets anymore.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
