VAZGEN MANUKIAN: RUSSIA FINDS NEW LEVER FOR RULING IN POLITICAL FIELD
OF ARMENIA

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Russia’s economic capacity in Armenia
constantly grows and after the upcoming elections Russia can say that
it will make price for gas in Armenia 250 USD unless the country’s
President is the person Russia wants. Vazgen Manukian, Chairman of the
National Democratic Union, expressed such an opinion at the April 14
meeting at the Hayeli (Mirror) club.

In his affirmation, doing so, Russia finds a new lever for ruling in
the political field of Armenia. According to Manukian, it is not
accidental that RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian is so happy. NDU
Chairman commented upon S.Sargsian’s expression that he is involved in
all good affairs in the following way: “In all cases when it is good
for Serge Sargsian it is mainly bad for Armenia”. Vazgen Manukian
insisted that the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline has been already sold to
Russia, too. According to him, either by means of this gas pipeline
Russia will limit Iran’s competition in the issue of exporting gas to
Europe or on the contrary, it will parallelly build a gas pipeline of
a larger diameter and gas will be supplied to Europe under its
control. “So, a struggle goes on in the territory of Armenia between
two states having gas and Armenia plays the role of a “pawn” in this
struggle,” he mentioned. According to Khosrov Haroutiunian, Chairman
of the Christian-Democratic Party of Armenia, it became obvious that
the Armenian-Russian relations by their content are no longer
strategic, moreover, this is even not a partnership. According to
Kh.Haroutiunian, it is also obvious that Russia has qualitatively
changed its foreign political strategy. In his opinion, Armenia could
not prevent the policy conducted by Russia but it could take adequate
steps through negotiations, in particular, it could reconsider the
terms of military bases’ stay in Armenia, the conditions of their
maintenance. In his opinion, in this issue the executive power has
remained alone and the parliament having an important role does
nothing. Both speakers considered it necessary to build a new nuclear
power plant.