A BALANCE OF FORCES IN REGION IS TO ARMENIA’S ADVANTAGE, STEPAN GRIGORIAN SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Au g 27, 2008
YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Russia’s steps (unexpected to the
world) in Georgia are continuing and will result in Russia’s signing
bilateral agreements with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, including in the
military sphere, the head of the Analytical Center of Globalization
and Regional Cooperation Stepan Grigorian stated at the August 27
press conference.
He paid attention to the fact that today Russia is implementing the
idea of restoring a mini-USSR. In particular, it is not ruled out that
Belarus and the unrecognized by international community Abkhazia and
South Ossetia may enter this format. In the political scientist’s
opinion, while realizing this idea, Russia may also tackle in real
earnest the problems of the Crimea and Transnistria. "Thus Russia is
taking concrete steps on the formation of a new pole of force in the
world, and these steps are directed against the West’s influence,"
S. Grigorian said.
According to him, since the moment when Russian aircraft started
bombing Poti, the conflict moved to the plane of international
relations as a number of Western programs were related to
Poti. In the words of S. Grigorian, the discontinued operation of
Baku-Supsa pipeline, the freezing of the project on construction of
Kars-Akhalkalak-Baku railway, etc, are directed against the influence
of the West in Georgia and the South Caucasian region. He expressed
an opinion that the "cold war" between West and Russia will continue
and intensify.
As regards Armenia, S. Grigrian underlined the necessity of a serious
analysys of what happened in the neighboring country. He paid attention
to the circumstance that the presence of both Russia and the West in
the region is to Armenia’s advantage, and he drew some historical
parallels. "We do not benefit when only one power fully controls
the region, we remember the 1921 lessons. A balance of forces in
the region, that is, the presence of both the West and Russia is to
Armenia’s advantage," S. Grigorian said.