WHAT’S IN THE PACKAGE FOR SERZH SARGSYAN?
Europe is likely to propose something new to the Eastern Partnership
states, which will be called the “European package”. The essence of the
new package is not clear yet. The package will concern Armenia as well.
What is the EU going to offer Armenia? Judging by the logical
formalism of public grounds, Armenia must first of all get a proposal
on security. After all, security was said to be the reason why the
Armenian government replaced the Association Agreement with the
Customs Union.
The reality is a little different than what is visible. For example,
in July it became known that Armenia got Milan French-German anti-tank
systems which are one of the best in the world. In December the leader
of the National Self-Determination Union Paruir Hairikyan said those
systems with a value of 16 million dollars were a gift to Armenia.
In Armenia, this information was not followed up while it is publicly
repeated that Russia supplies free or cheap weapon to Armenia. By the
way, it is presented as the core of the Russian proposal on security.
At the same time, the circumstance of cheap or gift weapon is used as
a counterargument to dissatisfaction in Armenia with Russian supply
of offensive arms to Azerbaijan worth 4 billion dollars. They say it
is true that they supply weapon to Azerbaijan but they also give or
sell arms cheaply to Armenia.
It would be interesting to know what kind of arms Russia sells or
gives to Armenia and whether these arms are equal to the modern arms
that are sold to Azerbaijan. Well, of course, that could be a military
secret but, in any case, the well-informed sources assure that arms
produced earlier are sold cheaply or given as a gift whereas Russia
charges the market prices for the new ones.
In addition, this informal assurance was indirectly but officially
confirmed during the Russian president Putin’s visit to Armenia. After
the visit it was announced that an Armenian-Russian agreement
was signed according to which Armenia will buy Russian arms in a
preferential way.
In other words, Armenia does not have such a status. Meanwhile,
Armenia’s membership to CSTO supposes such a status.
Hence, it is obvious that the circumstance of security is relative,
also because in the process of negotiations with the EU no mechanism of
security had been proposed to Armenia. Or maybe it has? And maybe this
proposal was the reason why Russia was so sensitive to the Association
Agreement. After all, Moscow does not seem to have a reason for worry
in economic terms because it owns a huge part of the Armenian economy –
all the strategic spheres work for the Russian capital.
The main issue was, probably, that the EU had some security-related
proposals on Armenia in the context of the association talks but
could not set them down de jure because the Association Agreement
was an economic process.
Hence, the problem is whether the EU’s or rather the Euro-Atlantic
community’s new package will document the proposals on security
to Armenia.
Otherwise it will be difficult to break the ice unless the EU has
substantial offers on Armenia and Armenia is not included in the
European package on the protocol basis of participation of the
foreign ministry.
Or, along with the new package, the EU must set down more substantively
the issue of Serzh Sargsyan’s personal security. In other words,
instead of political proposals on state security it should discuss
Serzh Sargsyan’s personal security. In addition, Europe does not have
to make more reliable proposals than Russian ones but to demonstrate
why Russian proposals on Serzh Sargsyan’s personal security cannot
be reliable.
The “European package” will not have any objective relating to the
Armenian government.
The part concerning the society is a different issue. In terms
of cooperation with the society Europe has a lot to do but it is
another issue.
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator 11:20 11/02/2014 Story from
Lragir.am News: