Aravot, Armenia
Sept 4 2017




Russian jealousy and Azerbaijani hatred against Armenian sovereignty

Whom does Armenia striving for strength hinder?



Part of a massive interview from the US Ambassador to Armenia has
caused a fuss. Let us see what Richard Mills has said: «Armenia is
carrying out a nice work, balancing its relations with all its
neighbors, including Russia, Iran, the United States and the European
Union. Once I arrived in Armenia my position was clear: the US has
never viewed its relations with Armenia as a game with a “zero”
result, that is, our relations should be stronger and deeper, but
Armenia’s relations with other countries should deteriorate. It has
never been the US government’s goal, and I do not think that’s the
goal of the Armenian government. But I have to be clear: we have
clearly said that our aim is to be sure that Armenia can make its
sovereign decisions, which path it chooses, which economic, political
model it chooses. We want to give Armenia tools to continue making
sovereign decisions and be sure that Armenia will not be subject to
pressures by others to pursue a path which Armenia does not want to
walk through”.

We have already touched upon recent certain suspicious “attention”
attacks over Armenia. Recently there is no shortage of
“dissatisfaction” and “concerns” being announced from Russia and
Azerbaijan over presenting Armenia as Russia’s enemy, or over the
increase in anti-Russian moods in Armenia.

Interestingly those sentiments emerged after new impetus for
development in Armenia-Iran relations, Armenian-Chinese
Armenian-Israeli relations, and, of course, Armenia’s participation in
two NATO exercises. It should be noted that Agile Spirit 2017 military
exercises will be organized by US and Georgia in Akhaltskha, Orpholo
Military Training Centre on September 3-11. According to the Georgian
Defence Ministry, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Latvia and
Romania will participate in the exercises. Exercises will include
field and staff stages. Their goal is to expand cooperation within
NATO’s rapid reaction forces, as well as cooperation between the
United States and other countries. Since 2011, Agile Spirit exercises
are held in Georgia every year, in the beginning only the US and
Georgia were participating, and later in 2015 other countries also
joined.

Even if the government does not express dissatisfaction, it is clear
that the Russian side will express “jealousy” from expert and
political circles. It is not unexpected that in this background, in
the Azerbaijani websites Russian experts have started not to exclude
that “the European Union can delay the signing of the document with
Armenia”.

In fact, a situation has emerged when Russian jealousy and Azerbaijani
hatred have been merged against Armenia’s sovereignty. And it has its
reasons. The presence of weak, non-resolute, unconfident Armenian
authorities in the Karabakh negotiations are in the
Russian-Azerbaijani interests.

The US ambassador to Armenia has presented a position which expresses
the ideas of Washington only. They just want to make sure that Armenia
can make sovereign decisions in choosing an economic, political model.

But don’t the Armenian citizens want that? During all these years,
have not we complained and opposed the lack of Armenia’s freedom of
speech, lack of position, and influence?

So, whom does Armenia striving for strength hinder? This is not a
rhetorical question, everybody knows the answer, just because of some
motives, some individuals ready to gerrymander the US Ambassador’s
statement, will use it in favour of their own beliefs, and the result
will be the following: “see, the West has increased the influence on
Armenia”, “the West seeks a second Ukraine in Armenia”, “you should
not allow Western figures to “poison” Armenia, etc…

This is more than a primitive theatre performance, that has already
bored everyone, we just need to be able to perceive the real motives
of those “concerned” and “worried” and make conclusions.



Emma GABRIELYAN