PUTIN REFUSED SERZH SARGSYAN
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 19 March 2015, 16:13
Serzh Sargsyan’s statement on sale of Russian weapons to Azerbaijan in
answer to the question of the Russian journalist at the international
media forum organized in Yerevan on March 18 sounds more interesting
in the general context of this statement.
It was made at a stage of active discussions of the EU-Armenia
relations, along with the Euronest PA held in Yerevan, on the eve of
the EPP Assembly in Brussels where the EU summit will be held with
an agenda including the new sanctions against Russia.
There are several other circumstances, namely the Sargsyan-Putin
telephone talk, the Erdogan-Putin telephone talk on the Armenian
genocide, as well as the possibility of increase of the price of gas
supplied to Armenia.
The internal price of gas in Russia will increase by 7.5%. According to
the 2 December 2013 gas deal, the price of gas in Armenia is contingent
upon the internal price in Russia. If the price of gas in Russia is
increased, the price will go up in Armenia too. Recently the head of
the Pubic Services Regulatory Commission Robert Nazaryan has stated
that they are currently negotiating with the Russian side to keep
the Russian gas price low. Nazaryan did not specify who exactly is
negotiating with the Russian side, the Armenian government or Gazprom
Armenia which is fully owned by Gazprom.
Apparently, the Armenian government is because the increase of the gas
price is a serious challenge to the government, not Gazprom Armenia.
Apparently, this question was on Hovik Abrahamyan’s agenda who,
according to the press, visited Moscow on March 5. Apparently, however,
his visit was useless because after his visit no definite agreement
was mentioned.
Afterwards, Serzh Sargsyan decided to attend to this issue, which he
has most probably discussed with Putin by telephone.
Apparently, his efforts were also futile, and Putin did not change
his mind on increase of gas price otherwise a few days after the
talk Serzh Sargsyan would not have been so tough on the supply of
Russian weapons to Azerbaijan, when he said that the Armenian soldiers
standing at the border are killed with Russian guns. For the first
time, Serzh Sargsyan announced that this is a problem that must be
resolved. Earlier he only spoke about the “people’s concerns”.
Will Armenia put forth to Russia specific solutions, such as a demand
to stop supply of arms to Azerbaijan otherwise reserving the right
for some steps? Or is Serzh Sargsyan’s statement a mere reaction to
Putin’s stiff position on the increase of gas price.
Or yet, Serzh Sargsyan has learned something unpleasant about the
subject of the Erdogan-Putin telephone conversation, to which he
reacts with a statement on Russian weapons.
Is Sargsyan’s step a policy step or hopelessness or yet a tradeoff
with Russia: the latter agrees to bring the price down, and Armenia
keeps silence on the Russian weapons?
In these questions the key thing is what Armenia can do, what it is
ready to do if Russia refuses the tradeoff, as well as any demand
of Armenia relating to supply of arms, and continues to supply
Azerbaijan. This question remains open. Although, it is not ruled out
that Sargsyan will try to fill in this gap today in Brussels where
he has gone to attend the EPP summit. The EU leaders have gathered
in Brussels for the EU summit.