WILL IRAN TURN AN ALTERNATIVE FOR ARMENIA?
November 25 2013
On Saturday, November 23, in Geneva, the “six”: the United States,
Great Britain, France, China, Russia, and Germany have come to a
turning agreement with Iran, which has to freeze Iran’s nuclear
program. U.S. authorities have stated that this is the first
such international agreement in coming decade that is signed to
halt Iran’s nuclear program. What developments will this agreement
result in the region, what will it give to Armenia on the way to its
integration to the CU? Does this agreement preclude the possibility
of military operations in the region? In conversation with Aravot.am,
addressing these questions, the expert of the Center for Political
and International Studies, political scientist Ruben Mehrabyan said
that, in his assessment, the risk for war was theoretical. According
to the political scientist, normalization of relations between Iran
and the international community opens up possibilities for cooperation
for Iran, with the country’s entire resources. And it directly means
that Iran will enter into competition with Russia, for the simple
reason that Iran has the world’s second largest gas reserves; it
also has huge oil reserves. “These are the factors that allow Putin
to use as a weapon in his blackmail politics towards Europe and the
former Soviet Union countries, which, in fact, he is not hiding, and
says, Russia’s energy weapon. Opening of Iran to the international
community considerably complicates Russia’s capabilities as such,”
added the political scientist. Our interlocutor believes that as
a result of this agreement Iran may have wider participation in
regional processes, be they economic or political. In this context,
Ruben Mehrabyan considers Russia to be the only disturbing factor in
Armenian-Iranian relations. “Because Russia would not want Iran to
become its competitor in Armenia, or in its relations with Armenia. In
other words, Iran to become an alternative for Armenia. But, given
that warming of relations between Iran and the West towards Iran,
elimination of sanctions, thawing of financial resources, and so on,
I think that Armenia can also obtain an ally in the development of
Armenian- Iranian relations in the face of the West.” The agreement
reached between the six and Iran, qualifying as “historical”,
our interlocutor notes, “On the background of this event, it is
just crying of what a blatant mistake Armenia did on September 3,
significantly reducing its chances. In fact, now, Armenia is under
a great risk just laying all of its possibilities under the heel of
Russian boot, which mashing will pass over these opportunities. And,
these are possibilities that we did not have since the first day
of Armenia’s independence until now. These possibilities are just
opening, and it is Armenia historic duty to use them for the benefit of
future generations and the statehood.” To remind that on Sept. 3 Serzh
Sargsyan stated in Moscow about his decision o Armenia’s accession to
the Customs Union. Talking about the wave of protest raised in Ukraine,
against the decision of the President of the country to postpone
signing of the EU Association Agreement, Ruben Mehrabyan said,
“What is happening in Ukraine is a very inspiring, contagious and
positively enviable process. I think this could be an example for
citizens of Armenia of what statehood means, what it means to fight
for the nationhood and the future. I believe in the ultimate victory
of the Ukrainian people, and I think that this is an example that,
yes, it’s possible. And, the unreasonable frustration that has crept
the Armenian society as of today, I think, is quite irrelevant.
The fight is just beginning, and we need to fight. If there is no
struggle, there are no opportunities. We are losing statehood now,
but we have an opportunity to avoid it.”
Nelly Grigoryan
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