THE SHINE OF 30 SILVER PIECES

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11:46:45 – 30/09/2009

After the normalization of the Armenian and Turkish relations and after
the opening of the border the prices of imported and exported goods
will decline by 30 percent, in other words, the Armenian economy will
become more competitive and the costumer will have the chance to buy
the same goods cheaper. This is an argument which the government and
its propaganda machine have been circulating on these days to show to
the public how good the border opening is and how it will be useful
and expedient for us.

First, it is very difficult to assess in particular on what study is
based this number – 30 percent. Who and when counted. Do we know what
prices Turkey is going to define for transiting Armenian goods? In
general, what rules are there going to be? But let us assume that it is
quite an accurate calculation and it will correspond to the reality. Is
that 30 percent something for Armenia to go on compromises needed to
open the Armenian and Turkish border and to normalize our relations?

Is this 30 percent something for which we may give to the Turks almost
all our political and diplomatic resources? In comparison with the
commerce described in the Bible the commerce Armenia is doing is much
more convenient because the government exchanges "only" the Armenian
public strategical interests for 30 percent. But is 30 percent not
a low price for it? And in general, does the strategical interest
have price? Of course, for the logic of the government propaganda
everything may be sold.

When the opponents of the content of the current Armenian and
Turkish normalization point our the concrete dangers the process
contains from the point of weakening of the public potential, the
hypothesis of this 30 percent is brought up "but we are winning 30
percent, are you against it?" And maybe we had better set up not
a commission of historians but immediately agree with Turkey that
we are not interested in what it thinks about the genocide and if
they want they may think that just a quarrel happened. In this case,
Turkey would give us all the borders free of charge and our economic
interest would be 80 percent. And maybe we may not only recognize
the Turkish borders but also instead of a "third country" include in
the protocols the immunity of borders of Azerbaijan. In this case,
the Turks are possible to give us money to pass our goods through
their territory. In this case, our economic interest would be 100
percent. Why do we need to be content of 30 percent?

Prospects of serious geopolitical processes are on the stake, the
Armenian and Turkish relations will change the status-quo of the
region, change of dynamism of deployment of new security systems comes
up, change of political and geopolitical instruments happens, change of
players which directly touches the Armenian interest and will influence
on Armenia arousing new problems for it and demanding new political
recourses about which, according to the logic, the government had
to talk to its citizens. While the Armenian government is speaking
only about the 30 "silver pieces" as if Armenia does not want and
does not long for, and does not think anything else in this region.