ARMENIA MADE A PLOT WITH THE WEST
Lragir.am
18 Oct 06
The Armenian government assumed an obligation before the West to
mitigate every manifestation of the problem of Javakheti. The expert
cannot mention the price of this commitment saying that it can be
different, especially that elections in Armenia are drawing nearer.
Igor Muradyan made this almost sensational statement October 17 at the
National Press Club. He said he is acquainted with the situation in
Javakheti, the developments, the international political approaches
towards this region, and he can draw such a conclusion. He says the
West instructs Armenia on this question even on lower levels, such
as the head of the political department of the embassy.
With regard to the problem, Igor Muradyan first presented the
pre-election situation in Javakheti, saying that it was a stage of
active formation of NGOs. According to Igor Muradyan, these NGOs
had close ties with the Armenian government. This guaranteed their
existence. On the other hand, they are turned into marionettes
and a mere source of information. In this context, Igor Muradyan
highlights the emergence of the United Javakheti Alliance, which
represents the young and educated youth of Javakheti, the expert says,
which has a clear idea of the problems of the region and rejects the
cunning proposals of the government. Therefore, Igor Muradyan says
this organization appeared in the focus of attention of the Georgian
government, and does not get support from Armenia. Igor Muradyan says
the Armenian ruling sets tried to talk to them but they were unable to
mislead the youth from their standpoint and their approach does not
fit into the government policy on mitigating the problems connected
with Javakheti conducted by official Yerevan.
"I think decisions are not based on the relation with Georgia but on
the relation with the West. At first this sounds fantastic because
a local issue for the international community is concerned. But in
reality it is not. The United States and NATO are interested in this
region. The state of things in this region determines the success of
the entire Eurasian policy," says Igor Muradyan.
According to him, the international community’s official police is
to prevent this problem from becoming an international problem, and
mitigate possible tensions, "and create an impression that there is
no interest in reality." Igor Muradyan says the Armenian government
fulfills this wish of the West, and when serious forces emerged in
Javakheti, which are capable of raising the issues of the region,
Armenia made efforts to stop them, dissolving these movements. Igor
Muradyan adduces the example that the Armenian government arrested
one of the leaders of United Javakheti Vahagn Chakhalyan on an
absurd charge.
"But I know what international policies are implemented and who are
involved in it. The problem of the South Caucasus has been monopolized,
maximum 6-7 people deal with it. In Europe it is Xavier Solana,
in the United States government it is Daniel Fried. The evaluations
of experts are put under the table. But a year ago it offended the
experts that they do not get public attention, and they published
their conclusions. And it is mentioned that the domestic policy of
Georgia contains elements of fascism. Since 1945 no other country was
described as such, whereas this country is the partner of the West,"
says Igor Muradyan.
According to him, the U.S.-Turkish relation depends on the fate of
Javakheti. According to the expert, Georgia is unable to solve the
problem of security, and he thinks it is possible that in the future
we will witness the U.S. military presence in Javakheti. "It should be
noted for the democratic community of Armenia, if it there is one, that
there is an Armenian-Georgian plot. But it is impossible to explain
the situation by this only. Our people should pursue the recognition
of existence of such a problem now," says Igor Muradyan. He says the
impression that Russia is active in Javakheti is false. Muradyan even
says that unfortunately Russia is doomed to idleness.
"It seems that Russia is active. And what did it do? It did what is on
the surface. It took the steps that every Russian member of parliament
knew," says Igor Muradyan. He is against the claims for administrative
independence of Javakheti. "The salary of state-financed workers
in Javakheti is 1.5 million dollars. The budget of Javakheti will
not be enough because it is about 250 thousand dollars, excluding
foreign transfers," says the expert, mentioning that it is absurd
to put forward territorial claims because there is no possibility to
set down the rights.
"And these young people understand this very well," says Igor Muradyan,
mentioning that it was explained to them through the materials
of European and American experts, which clarify the picture of the
prosect of Javakheti in the context of the international policy. Igor
Muradyan thinks the way out is to release the arrested young man from
United Javakheti, the return of the members of the organization to
the sakrebulo, in other words, the recognition of the outcome of the
local election in Javakheti, although Igor Muradyan thinks that in
reality this outcome was achieved through administrative levers. The
experts emphasizes the resumption of the political process in the
regional sacrebulo which should raise the local issues in turn,
including the issue of the Armenian issue. As to what Armenia should
do, Igor Muradyan says, "Armenia had better do nothing."