ArmInfo. The USA's intention to use Transcaucasia to resolve geopolitical problems with Iran and Russia is becoming more and more obvious. And in this light the previous year was not an exception, only confirming the growth of this trend, Russian analyst Sergey Markedonov specializing in the South Caucasus expressed such an opinion to ArmInfo.
"In this sense, the essence of Washington's Caucasian policy is pretty well reflected in the statement of adviser to US President John Bolton during his South Caucasus tour. According to the latter, the United States considers Georgia as an important element of containment policy against Russia. It is clear that Washington has been pursuing such a policy for a long time. However, it is obvious that the new administration is trying to significantly intensify these processes, that is why it wanted to test not only Georgia, but the other two internationally recognized countries of the region", the analyst said.
Thus, according to his estimates, the internal problems in region become even more complex because of the global rivalry of external players transferred to Transcaucasia. And the year 2018, which demonstrated that no stabilization is going to be reached in the region, testifies to the aggravation of the observed trends. At the same time, internal changes in the countries of the region not only do not solve existing problems, but also introduce additional ones, significantly complicating an already difficult situation.
According to Markedonov, against this background, Nikol Pashinyan, finally approved to the post of Prime Minister of Armenia, cannot avoid either the resolution of the Karabakh problem or building complex relations with Russia and the United States. And despite the fact that with the change of power in Armenia, not a single important issue for Russia has been subjected to a fundamental review, it is still difficult for Pashinyan and his supporters to get rid of the reputation of critics of Yerevan's dependence on Moscow. Especially the partners in the CSTO and the EAEU, in his opinion, are concerned over revolutionary rhetoric, Pashinyan's desire to publicly discuss the problems that were previously discussed only behind closed doors. In this light, the analyst sees the need for joint work towards the development of mutual trust, especially in light of the conflicts between the Eurasian integration projects of Moscow and the national interests of Armenia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. According to his estimates, not the best relations of Yerevan within the framework of the CSTO and the EAEU require a collective decision in the future with the condition of active participation of Moscow. Otherwise, according to analyst, the growth of Eurasian skepticism in Armenia will not be limited to the dissatisfaction expressed by Sasna Tsrer members and various bloggers in Internet.