At the last meeting of the government, a decision was made to allocate 350 million drams from the reserve fund of the RA government in 2026. for the holding of the 8th summit of the European Political Community planned in Yerevan in May. “BIDEK” LLC was declared the winner of the tender for the construction of buildings and infrastructures on the basis of design estimate documents, presenting 573 million 423 thousand drams. price offer.

This seemingly technical official information is a condensed expression of Armenia’s political-propaganda degeneration of the last eight years, which reveals the cheapness and cynicism of not only domestic, but also foreign policy.

“BIDEK” LLC belongs to Davit Sedrakyan, the son of Tokhmakhi Mher, former deputy of the National Assembly, former district head of the Erebuni community, Mher Sedrakyan. Moreover, the purchase of about 1.5 million dollars is only one of the many orders placed by the KP authorities in recent years to the company belonging to the Sedrakyan family.

Mher Sedrakyan was one of the most odious political characters. In 2018, those who took to the streets during the days of the disaster called the revolution also came out against such characters.as if rejecting the former vices, the criminal oligarchy. This does not mean that all three former powers were flawless, and only because of Tokhmakhi Mher, Liska or Chorni Gago, what happened that led to one of the greatest disasters in the history of the Armenian people.

But it should also be noted that the entire anti-propaganda campaign served in 2018 and which lasted for years was built mainly on blackening the entire government with the mention of those nicknames. That propaganda continues even today, when during hysterical outbursts, Nikol Pashinyan remembers former robbers, corruptors and oligarchs, with many of whom he cooperates best today.

And here, the same Pashinyan’s government provides state orders worth millions of dollars to the company belonging to the family of one of those persons, which was supposedly one of the main targets of his struggle.

The problem is not the person of the director of that company, Davit Sedrakyan, nor even that does his company win as a result of a fair competition or because of “funding thanks”? The problem is hypocrisy on a cosmic scale, which Nikol Pashinyan expresses without hiding, on the one hand, and the targets of his former robber, who has become a “hero taxpayer” today, on the other.

Moreover, if Pashinyan violates the political and propaganda principles and betrays the former so-called beliefs, then the nicknamers of this category, for the sake of freedom and money, betray even their street, criminal so-called principles, becoming the servants of a government whose representatives would not even greet most of them before, let’s say, for the suspicion of being a representative of a minority rejected by them.

This story expressing the disgust of the Armenian reality is also a sharp testimony of foreign political hypocrisy. According to the same Nikol Pashinyan, the company of the son of the stubborn representative of the former robber regime receives a huge amount of money from Nikol Pashinyan’s government to organize not the “gathering of thieves in law”, but the European Community summit. The same European community that lavishly provides tens of millions of dollars to the government of Armenia “for the fight against hybrid war”.

The same “hybrid war” that, according to the government’s propaganda, is being waged by Russia with the participation of the representatives of the former authorities of Armenia and for their victory. So, the EU is giving money to Pashinyan for that “struggle”, and the latter is spending it through someone who is a living monument of hybrid threat.

In this pageant of hypocrisy and falsehood, money is secondary. What is more important is how everyone, starting from today’s authorities, who were even described as “zapadlo” when they were greeted years ago, and the former nicknamed “good guys” turned into their servants today, to the dishonorable ladies and gentlemen of the European bureaucracy, do not care much about democracy, human rights, freedoms, principles and values ​​and are busy corrupting Armenia for the sake of power and money.

PS: By the way, let’s also remind that Davit Sedrakyan in 2021 In the elections, he was one of the candidates of the opposition “Armenia” bloc led by Robert Kocharyan. This is an imagein:others.

Harutyun Avetisyan

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The start of the US-Israeli war against Iran was a serious geopolitical test for the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the New Yorker writes. Soufan Center, which specializes in topical issues of National Security (obviously, to whom).

Beijing maintains close economic and trade ties with countries in the region, and has achieved some diplomatic success in 2023, acting as a mediator in normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran while balancing between the warring factions.

Sino-Iranian relations build on longstanding economic and political ties between Tehran and Beijing. For Iran, the PRC is an important partner that can help resist US attempts to isolate the country economically and diplomatically. For Beijing, Iran is not only a vital source of energy, but also an important strategic partner in the Middle East, which plays a key role in the implementation of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s global infrastructure concept, particularly the “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

But the current war has quickly escalated into a larger regional conflict, and Beijing is now forced to balance economic interests, strategic ambitions and diplomacy amid growing geopolitical instability.

On March 2, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Beijing values ​​its long-standing relations with Iran and supports Tehran in protecting its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and national dignity. He reaffirmed China’s principled support for Iran’s legitimate rights and interests, calling on all parties to exercise restraint.

Wang Yi specifically called on the US and Israel to immediately stop hostilities, warning that further escalation could lead to the expansion of the conflict in the Middle East. China’s foreign minister expressed Beijing’s confidence that Iran will maintain national and social stability, and emphasized the need to consider the “legitimate interests” of Iran’s neighbors, a direct reference to Iran’s actions in the Gulf states.

Meanwhile, despite Iran’s strategic and economic interests, Beijing has so far maintained a cautious and diplomatic stance. Even during the 2025 12-Day War, China preferred mediation and regional interaction to overt political support.

Wang Yi had a number of telephone conversations with his colleagues in the countries of the region in order to reduce the tension. During talks with Oman’s foreign minister, Wang Yi warned that the further escalation and spread of the conflict to other regions “is not in the interests of the Gulf countries.” He added that states in the region must “stand up against outside interference” and “take their future and destiny into their own hands,” a veiled criticism of the United States and Israel.

On March 3, in a telephone conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Wang Yi stated: “China opposes military strikes against Iran by Israel and the United States. The use of force cannot really solve the problem. On the contrary, it will bring new problems and serious consequences. This is in line with Beijing’s longstanding approach to Middle East crises, which is to mediate conflict resolution rather than engage the parties in confrontation.

For China, Iran occupies a unique place in the global infrastructure concept։ Not only that “Mone lane, one road» is a geographical landmark but also a vital link connecting East Asia to Europe through land transport and energy routes։ «One lane, one road» initiative «economic zone», which is designed to reduce dependence on maritime blockades and US-controlled sea lanes, cannot function effectively without sustained access through Iranian territory.

This issue has become even more urgent because the current conflict has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, an energy artery through which about 50% of China’s energy imports pass.

Iran provides critical land access to Europe and has vast oil and gas reserves that Beijing needs to fuel domestic growth and diversify energy imports. Disruptions to this strategic corridor could disrupt China’s supply chains, which connect China through Central Asia to Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf. Moreover, China does not have viable alternative land routes that can be compared to Iran in importance, which are not associated with significant costs and risks.

The PRC’s military cooperation with Iran is limited and mostly symbolic in nature. Despite the fact that the two countries have held six annual joint naval exercises with Russia since 2019, called the “maritime security zone”, these exercises serve more as a strategic signal than evidence of deep operational integration. In addition, arms exports to Iran are already limited by international sanctions.

Unlike Pakistan, Iran is Chinese Mrdoes not represent a significant market for defense exports։ Stockholm International Institute for Peace Studies (SIPRI) data show a sharp decline in Chinese arms sales to Tehran in recent years, moreover, Russia has become Iran’s main military supplier.

But just a week ago, Reuters reported that Tehran is close to finalizing a deal with Beijing to purchase Chinese anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-tank missiles, ballistic weapons, anti-satellite weapons, as well as SM-302 supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles.

The SM-302 missile with a range of about 290 kilometers could pose a threat to the US Navy in the Middle East. Beijing denies the fact of concluding an arms sale deal. Despite the fact that China needs Iran to fulfill its Eurasian ambitions, Beijing’s strategic calculus is built on caution rather than commitment.

In one year isIn less than a year, the second conflict between the US, Israel and Iran showed that the support that the PRC–shows its partners, especially those in confrontation with the US–with, is limited by a number of factors, including the desire not to alienate major economic partners and to prevent escalation of tensions in relations with the West. Beijing’s approach to the conflict revealed a key contradiction in its foreign policy: its desire to position itself as a counterweight to US global dominance while avoiding costly conflicts that could lead to direct confrontation.

Such duality is criticized especially by countries of the Global South, which see Beijing as an alternative to Western hegemony. For many of these states, the Chinese Communist Party’s cautious diplomacyn: reinforces the view that Beijing is unwilling to act decisively if doing so involves strategic risks.

In 2023, Iran became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) led by the People’s Republic of China, but so far this multilateral conference on security issues has only issued a statement in which it “expressed serious concern regarding the development of events in the Middle East and the armed attack on Iran.”

If the war drags on, Beijing could benefit from a local conflict that would divert US attention and resources in the Middle East. Since about 50% of China’s oil imports come from the Middle East, any prolonged disruption in energy supplies would pose significant risks to the PRC’s economy and security.

As the world order continues to fragment, Beijing will balance ambition with restraint in the Middle East․ it means maintaining the role of a major economic player, m:while limiting security commitments even as key partners play a central role in China’s long-term strategic vision.

ALEXANDER GRIGORAND:

vpoanalytics.com

Translation by Zhanna Avetisyan

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Ara Zohrabyan writes: “ANOTHER ILLEGALITY THAT DAMAGES THE COUNTRY’S RATING

As you know, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilya II has died.

An invitation has been received from the Georgian Orthodox Church to attend and participate in the Holy Liturgy of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II, which will take place on March 22 of this year.

At the time of this greatest sorrow of the fraternal people, it was proper that the Catholicos of All Armenians should participate in the upcoming sacred church ceremonies.

Due to the above, it was necessary to allow the Catholicos of All Armenians to go outside the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Georgia for a few days.

In this regard, I submitted a petition to the investigator.

Today I received the investigator’s decision to reject the petition.

I’m sorry, but this is another obviously illegal decision that will greatly damage the reputation of our country.”

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Lawyer Ara Zohrabyan this morning informed, that the investigator did not allow His Holiness the Patriarch to go to Georgia to participate in the holy ceremony of the funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia, as well as in the Divine Liturgy, which will take place on March 22.

Yesterday, the press service of the Mother See informed that the Catholicos of All Armenians received an official notice from the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church regarding the funeral of the blessed Catholicos-Patriarch Ilya II and the protocol of related events.

“His Holiness intends to visit Georgia, attend the funeral ceremony, pay his respects to the late blessed Patriarch and bring his grief to the Georgian Orthodox Church and the friendly Georgian people.” had mentioned From the Mother See.

What is the government afraid of, forbidding His Holiness to participate in those ceremonies, does this not harm the reputation of Armenia? In response to the questions: Reverend Paren Arakelyan, spiritual pastor of Psalms said that it is difficult to say whether the government is afraid or not afraid, or what is he afraid of?

“I can say only one thing: this is a shameful phenomenon not only for our church, but also for the entire Armenian people, because it would be appropriate and correct for the Patriarch to attend the funeral of the patriarch’s father.

There can be no fear, His Holiness should have participated in that funeral, they are spiritual brothers, this was a mistake.” of 168.am Father Paren Arakelyan said in a conversation with

To the question whether the investigator made that decision on his own, taking into account all the statements made by Nikol Pashinyan regarding His Holiness, the clergyman answered that he can make assumptions, at the same time he does not think that the investigator would have made such a decision on his own.

“You understand, all this is groundless, we all understand this. How Reverend Mikael came to the funeral of Reverend Tatev, that is, it was normal and right for Reverend Mikael to participate in the funeral of our Reverend Father. In the same way, it would be correct if His Holiness participated in the funeral of the patriarch’s father. We only record the facts, this is a painful reality in which we live. His Holiness should have gone, said a prayer for his spiritual brother and come back,” stressed Father Paren.

It should be reminded that on February 14, the prosecutor’s office initiated a criminal prosecution against the Catholicos of All Armenians on the charge of obstructing the execution of the judicial act related to Arman Saroyan. Banned the departure of His Holiness the Patriarch from Armenia.

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