LOOKING FOR GUARANTEES
Aram Abrahamian

Aravot.am
16 June 06

EU and NATO aren’t Siamese twins; we can aspire to the EU but not
to the NATO. It’s another thing that the first organization doesn’t
need in either Armenia or any other former soviet country. But the
second is ready to involve us theoretically but agreeing with at this
moment will mean to find ourselves in strongest economic jeopardy of
Russia /depriving of gas, wheat, nuclear fuel etc./ and jeopardizing
Karabakh as well. If the RA President declares tomorrow that we have
a project for NATO membership, Russia will take revenge on us and
will encourage Azerbaijan’s attack on Karabakh in moral and military
cases. At this moment, it seems there is no guarantee that the West
will give us enough resources for counteracting those two economic
and military dangers.

I think, our aim must be the creation of those guarantees without
strict declarations in Sahakashvili style. Unfortunately our authority
goes just on the opposite way more deepening our dependence to
Russia. Selling the important branches of economy to Russia solves
our internal political problems and not our security, or rather the
problem of keeping the authority. For example selling the sphere of
communication to the Russian operator isn’t an obliged condition for
keeping the security of Armenia.

And our officials are constantly explaining the Western officials
in the outside sphere why we like Russians so much. The Na deputy
chairman Vahan Hovhannisian explained the NATO PA in Yerevan on
14 of June that the collective security agreement led by the RF
"has anti -terrorist character and provides for internal security
but anyway NATO membership means for Armenia to review relations
with that organization, for which Armenia isn’t ready today." The
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said to "Azatutiun" b/s after
progress sitting of the NATO Council in the same day in Brussels;
"It became clear during discussions that everybody positively marked
our complementary policy and steps which we realize in security
problems". It means the West treats with comprehension the fact of
being the "outpost" for Russia.

And it is the truth. Nobody makes us integrate to Europe. We, our
people need in it. But the guarantee for "getting rid of " Russia
is the NK conflict settlement and democracy. But our authorities
don’t need in it.