REASONS: ARMENIA OUTSIDE REGIONAL STRATEGIC INTERESTS
Panorama.am
18:36 27/08/2007
"There is no strategic program, and that is why Russia offends
Armenia’s independence," stated former deputy Hmayak Hovhannisyan on
the occasion of the ten year anniversary of the signing of the 1997
agreement between Boris Yeltsin and Levon Ter Petrosyan.
Speaking about Russia’s influence over Armenia, Hovhannisyan noted the
natural gas pipeline between Iran and Armenia, and how it wouldn’t
become a means of transit of the gas. "The pipeline isn’t transit,
because Russia didn’t assist in that direction. This is the result of
not having a strategic plan in regards to Russia," he said. He added
that Armenia’s closeness to Russia is the reason Armenia is staying
on the outside of East-West communication programs.
"Russia and Belarus were on the outside concerning this program,
the natural result being Armenia was also left out, being Armenia
was their only ally in the south Caucasus," he added.
Hovhannisyan is convinced that due to Armenia’s isolation within
its own borders it was left out of the proposed railroad line of
Kars-Akhalkalak-Tbilisi-Baku. "It is meaningless to talk about the
renovation of the Kars-Gyumri railroad, as this would only solve
small, local problems," he said. He also feels no reason to tie the
construction of the rail line to the opening of Armenia’s border
with Turkey.
"Armenia is also left out of north-south programs in the Caucasus,"
Hovhannisyan said. He is convinced that the result of the 1997
agreement has shown military benefits but only pressure when relating
to economic ties.
Hovhannisyan sees both positive and negative in Russian-Armenian
relations of the past 10 years, but that currently difficult problems
exist.