According to Tigran Khzmalyan, Co-Chairman of the European Party of Armenia, the Kremlin is trying to use the former President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, and Karabakh as they once used Ajaria against Saakashvili. That is, opposition to the new regime is being formed around Kocharyan, and all the red lines have been crossed.
The final decision on the appointment of the CSTO Secretary General will be made at a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers on May 22 in Bishkek. We can say that almost certainly the post will be taken by the representative of Belarus Stanislau Zas. Why did Pashinyan give in on this issue? Does this only mean that it is no longer important to him? Or did he bargain for something from Russia in return?
I think, in Minsk, and in Yerevan, and in the whole world, there is an understanding that the CSTO is a purely ceremonial and formal organization, which, of course, has nothing to do with collective security. Therefore, for a part of society it was not very clear why Pashinyan had to insist on maintaining this post throughout the year. The background on this issue is well-known.
I believe that at some point he most likely played against Minsk on Moscow’s side. We understood that Putin uses the CSTO as a lever, including for putting pressure on Minsk. Thus, Lukashenka’s attempts to get this post seemed to us not only a game of two ambitions, but also an attempt to protect, at least in part, Belarus from the empire’s encroachments.
The fact that Pashinyan has now conceded may indeed mean one of two things. Either it is no longer interesting to him, because the trial which is now taking place in Yerevan of Putin’s pet, the second president Kocharyan, whom Moscow is trying to get out of prison in every possible way, may mean that the red line has been drawn, and in this sense it’s not so important to have this symbolic post in the CSTO. Or everything is more difficult. I think the next several days will show it.
How much has foreign policy changed in Armenia lately? Some experts say that it has become even more pro-Russian. Do you agree with this opinion?
In this case, the first impression is deceptive. We see that there is a hidden struggle under the carpet, and the Pashinyan government has long made any concessions for the sake of maintaining stability and continuing reforms. I will have to return to the topic of the arrest of Robert Kocharian a second time. The fact is that now Moscow is trying to use Kocharyan and Karabakh they way they once used Ajaria against Saakashvili. That is, an opposition to the new regime is being formed around Kocharyan, and all the red lines have been crossed. They no longer hide the fact that they are trying to make Karabakh an outpost of Russian influence, and perhaps now some masks will be dropped. I suppose … In any case, I would like to believe in this, that the Armenian government will cease to be a hypocrite and will raise questions of foreign policy with all directness, because playing on the Putin field threatens the sovereignty of Armenia. I think we will see acute changes soon.
Will those be changes towards Russia?
On the contrary, these will be changes towards European integration. Because all possible concessions have already been made, and this has led to nothing. Moscow is still torpedoing any attempts at reform, Moscow is still blackmailing Yerevan, and it absolutely does not trust Pashinyan. While Pashinyan tried to trick Putin or to achieve some preferences with concessions, now this is already clear — this does not work. Moscow no longer conceals its irritation with Pashinyan, the so-called velvet revolution, and is simply trying to bring the old regime to power, not Serzh Sargsyan, who paradoxically now plays in favor of Pashinyan, but the second president, who in his time sold Armenia for a very small sum to Russia — almost the entire economy was sold for $ 200 million. It means it was a very generous gift.
Why is this trial of the former President Robert Kocharian so important?
Briefly, out of the three former presidents of Armenia, since we have now become a parliamentary republic and the prime minister, namely Pashinyan, is our chief figure… Of the three previous presidents, Kocharyan was the most pro-Russian. He practically gave Russia our economy, politics, security system, energy, that is, almost all of the sovereignty of Armenia. The way he came to power was the dress rehearsal for the coming of the KGB to power in Russia. Two months before Yeltsin’s abdication, a coup d’état took place in Armenia on October 27, 1999, a terrorist act in parliament, during which the prime minister, parliament speaker, and ministers were killed. It was thanks to this coup that Kocharyan came to power. Now we already understand that this was a coup inspired by the Russian special services. The next 10 years were the 10 years of the complete return of Russia, namely Putin, and control over Armenia, from which we are trying to crawl out at least for now. Therefore, the Kocharyan trial is so important for us in order for Armenia to regain its sovereignty.
Front photo: Mikhail Metzel / TASS
