RUSSIA’S NEGLIGENCE TURNING ARMENIAN OPPOSITION TOWARDS WEST

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22. ARMINFO. People in Armenia are getting
increasingly displeased with the policy of Robert Kocharyan, Armenia’s
president and Russia’s good ally. Meanwhile lack of attention from
Russia is turning Armenia’s traditionally pro-Russian opposition
towards th West, says Russian politician Irina Khakamada in her
article “Seducing Lover and Impotent Rapist: Russia and West on the
Post Soviet Stage.”

Russia’s relations with the CIS are quite complicated. At the initial
stage of CIS history Russia was mediator and peace-maker for many
post-Soviet conflicts. This role is not generally accepted as positive
but was rather effective in some cases like Transdniestria. Some even
hoped that Russia would become a kind of exporter of
liberal-democratic values in the post-Soviet area. But in reality
Russia has turned into an exporter of authoritarianism for the CIS
countries except for those having one in abundance (Turkmenistan,
Belarus and Uzbekistan). Ukraine was a vivid example of such
export. Similar situations are ripening in Armenia, Moldova,
Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Khakamada forecasts collapse of Russia’s influence in the post-Soviet
republics in the coming years. This will not impact economy as Russian
business and Russian politics are oftentimes moving in different
directions. Business in Russia needs state protection but not finding
one will start contacting directly with post-Soviet governments
despite and in spite of their own authorities.

But this is not good for Russia. This country has two ways: either to
become an authoritarian mutant or to start large-scale political,
social and administrative reforms.