THE VISITS DONE. WAITING FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS
R. Hayrapetian

AZG Armenian Daily
26/06/2008

Armenia-Russia

A reviewer can hardly find a more boring business that examining the
first visit of Armenian President Serge Sarkisian to Russia. The
comments in the Russian press are overwhelmingly positive and the
Armenian-Russian relations seem so friendly and fair that there
remains no place for alternative points of view.

Both the presidents looked extremely happy during the meeting. And
there is really something to be happy with: growing investments,
enhancement of military partnership, absolute coincidence of positions
in international affairs, etc, etc. The Russian newspapers, stressing
the secrecy of the endorsed between Presidents Medvedyev and Sarkisian,
were content with officious phrasings as "strategic partnership"
and full with quotes from the Presidents’ optimistic statements.

It feels like there is no problem at all. Nevertheless President
Sarkisian’s visit was preceded by a number of rather serious
publications criticizing Russia’s pragmatic policy with its most
important strategic allies. It was stated for several times that in
case Russia leaves Armenia, it will never return to South Caucasus and
therefore Russia should never neglect Armenia’s interests. The USA and
the EU are actively working on enhancing their influence in Armenia,
and a new generation of Armenian youth is growing, which does not
perceive the Armenian-Russian alliance as something unbreakable.

The press also drew attention to the anti-Russian attitudes of the
Armenian political opposition and the "pro-European" orientation of
the "heroes" of March events in Yerevan. It was also perceived that
over two million Armenians reside in Russia.

And of course, our brotherly Azerbaijani political reviewers proved
unable to avoid the temptation of publishing their reflections
on Armenia in the Russian press. According to political scientist
Rasim Musabekov, Serge Sarkisian’s visit to Moscow is a preface to
Medvedyev’s visit to Baku. Musabekov pointed out that Russia wants
to purchase gas from Azerbaijan in order to transit it to Europe and
perfectly realizes that it cannot succeed in this business without
making certain propositions on Karabakh issue. "Having invited Serge
Sarkisian, the ex-Defense Minister and now President of Armenia, to
Moscow, the Russians want to study thoroughly the situation and not
to leave to Baku with bare hands. As the Armenians supported for the
most part Ivanov in the presidential elections, Medvedyev will hardly
be sentimental about Armenia-Russia relations," suggests Musabekov.

Finally, remaining faithful to the Azerbaijani national habit of
blackmailing, Musabekov warns that in case the "occupation of the
Azerbaijani territories by Armenia" remains in place, Azerbaijan
will join Georgia in questions referring to NATO’s expansion to
South Caucasus.