ArmInfo.Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will receive Euro 2bln financial aid from the European Union (EU) for his anti-Russian stance over Ukraine, Stepan Grigoryan, Director of the Analytical Centre on Globalisation and Regional Cooperation (ACGRC), told ArmInfo.
"By going to Kiev and speaking up for Ukraine's territorial integrity Aliyev showed the West his own stance on the Ukraine crisis. And, of course, Azerbaijan's second – quite real rather than declarative - step toward the European Union should be stressed, namely, a contract for supply of 10bln cubic meters of gas to Europe. In the context of Russia's policy of energy monopoly, it was an obviously anti-Russian step by Azerbaijan, with Brussels appreciating it," Mr Grigoryan.
As regards the European billions to be provided to Azerbaijan, these are nothing but investments. However, in the case o the EUR 2.6bln to be provided to Armenia, grants constitute 60% of the total amount. The Azerbaijani president is sparing no effort now to prevent the provision of part of the EU aid to the Armenian army.
According to Mr Grigoryan, Aliyev is seeking to convince the West of the Armenian leadership's planning and preparing for a vengeful war, as well as of Yerevan's intention to use part of the Brussels-provided aid to re-arm and upgrade its armed forces, whereas Yerevan's response to Baku's activity is sluggish and situation-dependent.
In this context, the expert notes it was several months ago that he heard the Armenian leadership mention the EU aid to Armenia, to say nothing of real steps to prepare specific projects in Armenia. Mr Grigoryan cannot understand the Armenian authorities' passivity in the context of Brussels' intentions.
"I do not rule out at all that something is being done to implement the programmes in Armenia, but the public is not at all informed of the steps. I and consider it inadmissible – primarily in view of the fact that the projects to be implemented are of vital importance for Armenia. Among them are the North-South motorway and the Euro 600mln aid to SME development, especially in the Syunik region. Moreover, the provision of Euro 2.6bln by the EU has nothing to do with the Armenia-EU cooperation under SEPA. And, with grants constituting the larger part of the aid package, I consider it a present worthy of appreciation," Mr Grigoryan.
The EU is not putting a single obstacle to developing its cooperation with Armenia. Moreover, the recent initiatives by French President Emmanuel Macron and President of the European Council Charles Michel have shown the EU's intensified efforts to settle the Artsakh problem. In this context, the major problem in implementing the projects as part of the EU financial aid to Armenia is the Armenian leadership's sluggishness, which is "too expensive a luxury" against Azerbaijan's activity.