NATO has chosen to focus on young people for the long-term prospects of expanding its influence in Armenia
NATO week has started in Armenia in the framework of the IPAP (Individual Partnership Action Plan NATO-Armenia). Armenia signed the partnership plan in 2005, since when it has been appreciated many times by the organization's leaders as well as by the authorities of Armenia.
Armenian peacemaking contingents are participating in NATO operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan, and Armenian troops participated in the Iraqi operation as part of a Polish division. The cooperation with NATO involves consultations on regional security, defence planning, politics, information and protection of the environment amongst other things. Armenia is conducting 38 scientific projects for preventing nuclear threats, estimating the risks of natural catastrophes and securing water resources.
Anti-terrorism cooperation expansion is planned in the near future, as well as informing the population of Armenia about the activities of NATO. Among the events held to inform Armenian youth about the organization, lectures will be held at the pedagogical university of Gyumri, the second-largest city in Armenia. The key idea of the project is to communicate with the young people who were born after the cold war. This is probably the right policy, and it seems to be overlooked in Russia. Many Armenian students now go on to continue their education in Western Europe or the US, and only a small part of
them continue going to study in Russia. Every year the English language becomes more popular and many students prefer to sit English exams over Russian ones. For 20 years now the cultures of Russia and Armenia have been developing separately and the West is trying to fill in the cultural gaps.
So, the obvious question arises: who has chosen a better way of exerting influence in Armenia? Russia, which controls about 80% of the Armenian energy sector, or the West, which is betting on the youth and is steadily coming closer to its target?
