US PROFESSOR: PUTIN, UNDOUBTEDLY, THREW ARMENIA INTO A DILEMMA
by David Stepanyan
ARMINFO
Wednesday, September 11, 16:56
It would be good to know what Vladimir Putin told Serzh Sargsyan in
the room of negotiations in Novo-Ogarevo and in what manner. There
is no doubt that the Russian president threw Armenia in a dilemma,
Cory Welt, Associate Director and Associate Research Professor of
International Affairs at the Institute for European, Russian and
Eurasian Studies (IERES) at the Elliott School, told ArmInfo.
During the Sept 3 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in
Moscow, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan confirmed Armenia’s intention
to join the Customs Union. Afterwards, both countries’ leaders signed
a joint statement. Before that, Yerevan actively negotiated for the
Association Agreement, including DCFTA. The negotiations were to be
completed in 2013 at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius.
“Putin, probably, hinted that Armenia and/or Nagorno Karabakh would no
longer be able to rely on Russia in security issues, unless Armenia
decides to join the Customs Union. Sargsyan also hinted at that when
saying that it is ‘impossible and inefficient’ to be part of a military
alliance and ‘do not meet the economic area’ of its members.
That statement is nonsense, of course. Just look at the West where NATO
and EU do not fully exceed each other,” he said. In the case of the
CSTO and the Customs Union, Welt said, that statement is acceptable,
maybe. The point is that, as he thinks, Russia has been throwing down
a gage too long. “Probably, Putin was sure that Armenians understand
the cost of Russia-provided security and he was surprised to see that
Armenians keep moving towards AA/DCFTA,” the professor said.
Welt does not think, however, that Russia is playing a long-term game
with short-term measures to scare some countries, namely, Ukraine and
Armenia, and hold them from signing AA/DCFTA. He thinks that Russia
will establish a new status quo if this plan fails. Nevertheless, Welt
believes that Moscow will succeed in its plans with Kyiv and Yerevan.
Joint online press conference of experts from various countries for
Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian mass media on the relevant problems
are organized within the project “Expansion of knowledge of Armenians
and Azerbaijanis about each other and confidence building through
first-hand information”. The project of the “Region” Research Center
(Armenia) and Peace and Democracy Institute (Azerbaijan) is supported
by the British Embassies in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
