Sunday, May 14 2023 22:18

ArmInfo. "In recent years, the security architecture  in the world and, in particular, in our region has changed  dramatically. Prior to that everything was clear.

Conventionally  speaking, we thought it would be possible to make a phone call and  say, 'I have a problem' and the answer would be, 'Okay, dear friend,  we can help. We tried it and we see that this mechanism does not  work. Contract commitments are not being honored. Our whole security  concept was based on this, without a new one available yet," Armenian  Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said in an interview with  Novaya Gazeta Europe newspaper.

The mechanisms that were supposed to ensure Armenia's security have  collapsed and no new ones have been created, Mr Grigoryan said. 

In this context, he stressed that Armenia has to look for new  mechanisms and arms supplies because "objectively we have not got  what we have ordered and what we have paid for to Russia."

In question are several contracts with Russia worth hundreds of  millions of US dollars. 

"We expected the CSTO to respond last September during Azerbaijan's  direct aggression against Armenian territory. But it did not, and so  on," Mr Gigoryan said.

He admitted that the result was discussions of Armenia's withdrawal  from the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO),  which was " a natural reaction." 

As to Russia's harsh reaction to any contacts between Armenia and the  West, Mr Grigoryan partially admitted the fact. "Your are partly  right and partly wrong. Shelling and provocations take place not only  when we conduct negotiations with the West. In 2018, when a  revolution took place in Armenia, we said it was a domestic  democratic process, which would not have any foreign-policy impact.  We continued working with Russia, but that did not guarantee our  security: we got a war in 2020. Another example: in 2013, President  Serzh Sargsyan decided in favor of Armenia's joining the Customs  Union, later renamed EAEU. It was suggested to him that problems  would arise in Nagorno-Karabakh if he refused do that. The main  argument for Armenia's joining the Customs Union for President  Sargsyan was Nagorno-Karabakh's security. But we got two wars after  that - in April 2016 and in September 2020," Mr Grigoryan said.  

As regards Armenia's grave situation and a possible disaster any  moment, Mr Grigoryan said that he is fully aware of that. 

"But even in a desperate hurry the course of events is impossible to  change. The only way is the first, the second, and the third step.  Then seeing what happens, how the situation is changing. We honestly  admit we do not have a solution yet, but we are in search of it. We  have a change, without any guarantees," he said.  

As to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, Mr Grigoryan said that since  early last December Armenia has been stating on all international  platforms that Azerbaijan is planning ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-  Karabakh. 

"Let us see who can prevent that. First, the Russian peacekeeping  troops in Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, it is their duty under the 2020  agreements. And the tragedy of the situation is that Russian  peacekeepers are deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh, while people are  talking about a threat of ethnic cleansing. They have no hope for  salvation. The second chance is the international community. For a  long period Armenia has been lobbying for the dispatch of  international observers to Nagorno-Karabakh," Mr Grigoryan said. 

In response to the interviewer's argument that Nagorno-Karabakh is an  unrecognized state, and the international community is most skeptical  about such, which is the reason why the international community is  not defending Nagorno-Karabakh, Mr Grigoryan said that the  international community pledged to prevent genocides anywhere despite  the fact that, in this particular case, Nagorno-Karabakh is an  unrecognized state.  

Mr Grigoryan admits changing sentiments in Nagorno-Karabakh due to  circumstances. "No pro-Western sentiments or Soros in  Nagorno-Karabakh. No NATO, but Russian peacekeeping troops.  Nevertheless, we can observe anti-Russian sentiments there now. What  so you think is the reason? Russia itself, not the West. It is Russia  that has shaped this opinion.  

"This is a most interesting topic. There exists the following  political discourse: Russia's attitude to Armenia changed for the  worse because a pro-Western team came to power in Armenia after the  revolution. People are taking this seriously. Let us think: can a  great nation like Russia change its geopolitical plans and strategy  because Armenia's leadership changes? One 5-10-member group was  replaced by another 5-10- member group? Did Moscow feel hurt? I think  that's absurd," Mr Grigoryan said. 

As regards the aims of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakg,  and, in this context, the assumption that their task is to help  Aliyev to get a Zangezur corridor toward Turkey for Russia to supply  its gas passing it off as Azerbaijani gas, Mr Grigoryan said that gas  is being supplied using the infrastructure operating now. "I do not  think it is so - or, at least, not quite so. In any case, Armenia  will never agreed to an extraterritorial corridor in its territory.  It is a redline for us," Mr Grigoryan said.  Asked about a possible  war, he said: "If so, let there be war."