RUBEN SAFRASTIAN: UNDER CONDITIONS OF EXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS COMPLEMENTARIANISM WILL NOT ENSURE FULFILMENT OF ARMENIA’S GOALS

Noyan Tapan
May 11 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Serious challenges connected with world
and regional developments of coming years are awaited for Armenia,
and for resisting them country’s foreign policy should be more exact
and coordinated. Ruben Safrastian, Director of Institute of Oriental
Studies of RA National Academy of Sciences, expressed such opinion
at the May 11 press conference.

In his words, the hopes of the West to see the South Caucasian
region as a united geopolitical pole did not come true, to which
Turkey greatly contributed. Turkey had not managed to make Georgia
its faithful ally by now, while the situation is changing at present:
for the present, we mean economic cooperation, but in the future it
can turn into political, maybe also military alliance.

R. Safrastian attached importance to NATO’s becoming more active
in the region. In his words, as a result of close cooperation with
U.S. Georgia can soon receive a status of candidate for membership to
NATO, which will also change the situation in the region. Besides,
U.S. policy in relation to Iran can result in military operations,
which will have grave consequences for the whole region.

As the expert affirmed, under these conditions complementarianism
cannot ensure fulfilment of Armenia’s goals and the country should
carry on more balanced foreign policy. Considering as primary
fulfilment of national goals, R. Safrastian at the same time gave
assurance that Armenia’s strategic relations with Russia have no
alternative.