Ashot Manucharyan: Integration of the Caucasus will be advantageous for everyone

Interview with the member of "Karabakh" committee, ex-minister for foreign affairs, councillor on national security under the first president of Armenia, Ashot Manucharyan.After the five-day war in South Ossetia the USA are seemed to leave the South Caucasus and Russia is building up its presence in the region. Does it correlate with the real status quo, especially concerning Armenia?

Today Armenia experiences a hectic period of development. Various powers try to treat Armenian problems. However, it belongs to the region which remains the key one, notwithstanding talk about a decrease of interest in it. Rivalry for the Caucasus, started 20 years ago, is a part of global competition and a crucial moment of interests' clash. The attitude to Georgia and Azerbaijan, directed towards West, is quite clear. Contrariwise, the contest for Armenia is much tougher. It thought that Russia controls everything in Armenia, however, today geopolitical processes are aimed at displacement of Russia from the country. Western positions prevail upon Russian positions.

How does it result on inner political processes in the country?
As for inner political powers and political field of Armenia, they are determined by external policy processes in Armenia and the region generally. Some politicians cooperate with these external forces and promote their interests in the region. And powers which promote interests of Armenia are few. Today the "Sardarapat" movement tries to do it. In other political circles the situation is more difficult. What can you say about dependence of the power?The power is dependent on external forces in almost all spheres. The power pays by national interests of Armenia for the opportunity to exploit its population. Personal material gain from the country is the only right given to them by external forces. Russia differs from West only by methods they use.
What is the main interest of Russia and Western countries in Armenia?It concerns competition for the management of the Caucasus communication corridor, which is the only neutral corridor in Eurasia. To connect Europe and Asia West has to deal with Russia or Iran, which are global players, or with Turkey, which tries to be it.

However, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can prevent this direction from fulfilment. Is the settlement of the conflict necessary for using this corridor?

The communication corridor can have "shutters", which can be rather useful. A country that strives to control the corridor should control "shutters". Before 2008 West controlled the corridor, and Moscow had two "shutters" - South Ossetia and Karabakh. Moscow could shut the corridor by any of its "shutters". Removing of these "shutters" is the main goal of West. After the five-day war Russia lost one of the "shutters", South Ossetia gained independence. Thus, this war was advantageous for America. But Russia created an image of power to itself in the former Soviet Union territory. Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has always been an ambiguous question for Armenia. On the one hand, it prevents the republic from development. On the other hand, it is a trump in hand of Armenia, evidencing of a global importance of it to the world. The Caucasus has always been a place of positive potential fulfilment. Integration of the Caucasus will be advantageous for everyone. In reality Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh can consolidate and settle all conflicts, however, only considering that they will do it on their own without the participation of superpowers.

Interview by David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for VK.