REPRESENTATIVES OF POLITICAL FORCES ARE OF SAME OPINION THAT PROBLEM
OF MOVING ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS ON RIGHT WAY OF DEVELOPMENT
EXISTS
YEREVAN, MARCH 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The discussion
convened on March 22 at the National Press Club with the participation
of representatives of political parties of Armenia was dedicated to
the present state of the Armenian-Russian mutual relations. According
to Shavarsh Kocharian, the Chairman of the National Democratic Party,
the main conflict between the two countries is that the life pushes
Armenia towards democracy, and Russia keeps the function of the
preserver of the authoritarian regime in the post-Soviet
territory. According to him, Russia is dissatisfied with Armenia’s
steps in the direction of the Eurointegration and wants Armenia have
such a controllable authoritarian system, as, for example, Belarus
has. Shavarsh Kocharian finds that in many issues, including the issue
of the Armenian-Russian relations, both society and a considerable
part of the political field often express an emotional approach. A
display of an emotional understanding is also the fact that, according
to the created impression, Russia has always assisted Armenians what
isn’t baseless but there were just opposite situations as well. So, in
spite of stubborn insistences of Azerbaijan, as of 1993, Russia gave
to Azerbaijan twice more tanks, 2.5 times more armoured cars, 1.5
times more guns with bigger than 100 mm calibre, twice more shock
helicopters, and Armenia got no military aircrafts (Su, MIG),
Azerbaijan got 53 ones. There was no case during the process of the
whole Karabakh conflict that Russian detachments struggle on the
Armenian side, and the oppisite has happened: if even we don’t take
into account the “Koltso” operation implemented by the Soviet army and
attacks in the region of Noyemberian, Armenia, then the attacks on
Martakert were directly implemented by the Russian troops. Among the
“legends,” the insistence of Armenia’s being the military advanced
post of Russia was also mentioned: according to Sh.Kocharian, by its
military-strategic meaning, the Gabali radiolocation station placed in
Azerbaijan is few dozens times more important that detachments of
Russian bases existing in Georgia and Armenia. But Aram Manukian, a
member of the Armenian National Movement administration pointed out
the positive role of Russia during the war. He reminded about the
political, diplomatic assistance showed by Russia, what is absent in
the context of solution of the Karabakh issue today. “Our those
strategic partners or those partner countries and organizations which
were silent during the movement and the war or assisted us, today
stated Armenia’s being aggressor, territories’ being captured. This
isn’t the fault of those stating, this the fault of today’s
authorities of Armenia,” the ANM representative finds. Even more,
according to him, “in the relations with Russia, authorities of a day
lost not today’s but tomorrow’s day, tomorrow’s authorities will stand
in front of irreversible processes.” According to Manukian, Russia’s
influence in all the spheres is spread because of Armenian
authorities’ “weakness, tolerance, being not honourable.” The armament
used up in all senses is moved from Georgia to Armenia, without even
asking about the latter’s opinion. According to him, Armenia became
not an advanced post but an attache’, in the sense of economic and
political dictations. Hovhannes Hovhannisian, the Chairman of the
Liberal Progressive Party of Armenia finds that the Armenian-Russian
relations aren’t just newly put on a not normal field. “It appeared
that this Armenian-Russian strategic powerful partnership is just
papers. Russia continues gloriously the Soviet country’s traditions,”
he mentioned. Aram Sargsian, the Chairman of the Democratic party of
Armenia finds that the level of development of the Armenian-Russian
relations will be beneficial for Armenia only and only in the case if
Armenia had its own doctrine in the direction of developing those
relations. He particularly expressed anxiety that the 80% of the
energy system of Armenia is sold to Russia what arises suprise even in
the political circles of Russia: “No country has a right to give its
soveriegn right to another country.” A.Sargsian finds that there are
all factors that Russia creates a huge pole having abilities of raw
materials. Coming out of this, Armenia must form its approach in the
way that it doens’t become a state depending on another country. In
the opinion of Aram Karapetian, the Chairman of the “New Times” (Nor
Zhamanakner) party, in the case of the next authorities, a serious
closing with Russia will take place, in the sense of energy problems,
opening vital roads for Armenia through Georgia and Russian capital’s
entering. Kiro Manoyan, the Chairman of the ARF Hay Dat and political
issues office mentioned that during the last period in the
Armenian-Russian relations there is some movement in the issues of
defence and power-generating materials, “but one thing is clear, there
is attitude reminding of the old days by Russia, what is inadmissible.”
Hrant Khachatrian, the Chairman of the “Constitutional Right” union
has no doubt that the world will be with many poles, and it’s
important for Armenia to exactly orient concomitant to time in which
geographic-political part to be established. It’s also important, he
emphasized, that Armenia and Karabakh are established in the same side
of the geographic-political border.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress