Armenia decided to try its hand in rivalry, which has intensified recently to catastrophic proportions and taken the form of a cold war. A reason for this became an interview of the US Ambassador to Armenia, Richard Mills, to the Radio Liberty, which the Armenian media immediately began to use, adding a bit of military rhetoric to their fantasies.
The newspaper ‘Haykakan Zhamanak’ writes:
”US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills made a loud statement in an interview to the Radio Liberty:" Our goal is to be sure that Armenia can make its own sovereign decisions about the direction and economic and political model it chooses. We want to give Armenia the tools to continue making sovereign decisions and be sure that Armenia will not be subjected to pressure from others to follow the path it does not want, "he said.
The ambassador expressed this idea in a response to a question about how tensions in the Russian-American relations will affect the relations between Armenia and the United States. According to the ambassador, Armenia is doing a good job, balancing the relations with all its neighbors, including Russia, Iran, the United States and the European Union. The US has never wanted to establish relations with the country at the expense of other countries. At the same time, Armenia wants to be confident and make sovereign decisions, and against the backdrop of the Russian-American tensions such a diplomatic response contains serious threats.
In general, it is unclear why the ambassador is making such a statement now. What does it mean to be sure that ”Armenia can make its own sovereign decisions about the direction and economic and political model it chooses"? If it is about Armenia's membership in the EAEU, it is already fait accompli, and there is no need for a new decision to be made so that the US is convinced that this decision is taken independently or under someone's pressure. What kind of economic and political model does the ambassador speak about? Is Armenia currently facing such a choice? In fact, yes, otherwise, the US ambassador would not mention it.
US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills
A special interest in the sovereignty of Armenia is shown by Russia. Two days before the announcement, Russian President Vladimir Putin, greeting Serzh Sargsyan in Sochi, said: "Dear Serzh Azatovich, this year we celebrate the 25th anniversary of establishment of the diplomatic relations, and in a few days, on August 29, the 20-year anniversary of signing the key Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. During this period, the relations between Armenia and Russia as two sovereign states became much stronger.’’
And during the official visit of Serzh Sargsyan to Moscow in March, Vladimir Putin said: "Russia is genuinely interested in a stable, independent and dynamically developing Armenia."
In fact, there is a serious rivalry between the US and Russia - who is more concerned about the issue of preserving the sovereignty of Armenia. But since such concern is not a political category, no country ever worries about the sovereignty of another country in any international relations. it is necessary to understand what the problem is, and why the US and Russia, being in a state of ‘war’, are concerned about the sovereignty of Armenia.
A new framework agreement between Armenia and the EU to be signed in November. The high-level Armenian officials declare that this agreement does not threaten anything, but it is obvious that Armenia faces the choice of an economic and political model once again. Recently, at a meeting with ‘Bazeh’, Serzh Sargsyan said that in 2013, when Armenia was negotiating with the EAEU and the EU, the EU informed that the accession of the Republic of Armenia to the EAEU was an obstacle to concluding an agreement on the deep and comprehensive free trade with the EU. Everyone knows what happened in 2013. Later, a new Armenia-EU agreement was developed to be signed in November. But in fact, Armenia's membership in the EAEU once again is an obstacle for the West, and again Armenia has to make a choice between these two political and economic models.
However, our Western friends understand that Armenia, apart from high universal values and pleasure to be a part of the democratic world, has other expectations when choosing the political and economic model of the EU. And these expectations lie neither in the political or economic field. They lie in the military sphere.
In his speech, the US ambassador, of course, skipped this part, however, in fact, it's not about choosing the political or economic models, but about the military-political models. "We want to give Armenia the tools to continue making sovereign decisions," the ambassador said, speaking about assistance provided to Armenia by the United States in the military sphere. However, in order Armenia can take its decisions so sovereignly as the US wants, these tools must cost several hundred million dollars and weigh several thousand tons. And as long as such instruments are not provided, sentimental talk about the sovereignty of Armenia is unnecessary, " the publication concludes.
