Russia is the most significant country for Armenians, according to a
poll by the social organization European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA)
carried out in Armenia on October 15-18, RIA Novosti reports.
1,210 people were questioned. 80% said that they trust Russia, 42% of
the respondents say that they trust France.
Russia is considered the main guarantor of security in Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh. 85% of the population believes that Russia plays the
key role in settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The younger generation has more faith in the EU, although the European
Union has less influence than Russia overall (only one fourth of the
respondents trust the EU). They view it as a structure that could help
in the development of democracy and a civil society in Armenia, as
well as the protection of human rights.
75% approve Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s decision to freeze
negotiations after Turkey’s dragging out of ratification of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols.
The two countries have no diplomatic relations and the
Armenian-Turkish border was closed in 1993, on the initiation of
Ankara. The tensions are caused by Ankara’s support of Azerbaijan's
position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Turkish attitude
towards the process of international recognition of the Armenian
genocide in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has initiated a rapprochement
between the two countries in the last few years. On October 10, 2009,
Turkey and Armenia signed a protocol in Zurich on establishment of
diplomatic relations and a protocol on development of bilateral
relations. But Turkey was dragging out ratification of the protocols,
resulting in the freezing of the process by Armenia on April 22, 2010.
78% of respondents have confidence that the Armenian economy would
benefit from ties with Turkey, while 63% believe that it will help
Armenia be closer to Europe.
75% believe that Turkey would not be a reliable regional partner for
Armenia, 71% say that opening the Armenian-Turkish border will lead to
trafficking and emigration.
A respected British organization, Populus, helped EuFoA in the polling.
