ARMENIA SHOULD BE CONCERNED OVER RUSSIAN-TURKISH RAPPROCHEMENT, EXPERT SAYS
news.am
May 10 2010
Armenia
Armenia and Armenian diplomacy should be concerned over any
Russian-Turkish rapprochement, Ruben Mehrabyan, expert for the Armenian
Center for Political and International Research told NEWS.am, speaking
of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s impending visit to Turkey and
prospects of creation of a high-level cooperation council.
The expert believes that the unresolved Karabakh conflict is presently
a powerful lever for Russia to maintain its influence in the region.
"It will not lose grasp of leverage without finding an equivalent. I
do not rule out a possibility that once Russia and Turkey come to an
agreement, they will leave out the other actors, such as EU and U.S.,"
Mehrabyan said. He added that no crucial developments are expected,
despite the serious challenges facing Armenia.
"Armenia should be worth something to resist possible threats. In the
20th century to be worth something means to have a democratic system,
with human rights respected, no political prisoners and primitive
problems. These are Armenia’s tasks. I do not think that we will
experience crucial changes in the near future, but we should make
steps to withstand future challenges," the expert said.