Tuesday, August 13 2013

 Mr
Sharmazanov, despite the predicted summer calmness, the current summer was
rather hot not only in the context of weather, but also because of tension in
the public and political field. The last decision of the Yerevan mayor to hike
the public transport fare aroused a spontaneous wave of protests. Many analysts
predict that it is simply impossible to avoid social revolt in the country in
autumn, as at that period of time the population will sharply feel hiking of
the tuition fee and increase in the gas and electricity tariffs. Will you please comment on the situation?

 

What is
happening now in Armenia meets logic and there is nothing extraordinary in it. It is
natural that a decision to increase prices arouses a wave of public
discontent in any country. Armenia is not an exception, indeed.
However, I would not give any radical assessment to what is happening
in the country. I cannot qualify this as a social rebellion or
apocalypses. There are problems and the people express discontent. The
opposition fulfils its functions criticizing the authorities and voicing the
problems. In the meanwhile, the authorities do their best to settle
the accumulated problems. This is a natural state of affairs. I
believe that to settle the accumulated problems, the authorities sometimes have
to make unpopular
steps facing criticism. Nevertheless, there is no other way.
Armenian authorities cannot settle all problems with a wave of a
magic wand. We cannot deceive the people promising that they will
be living in a paradise tomorrow.

However,
the people must realize that protests and aggression cannot settle
problems. A consensus is required. Everyone is well aware that a
change of power will not settle all the problems in a day.

 Twenty
years aren’t enough to settle, at least, vital tasks?

 Apparently,
no…

On the
other hand, don’t you think that it is social injustice and polarization rather
than social problems that cause public discontent in the country?

I don’t
think that there are no problems with social justice irritating the people in
Armenia. I admit that the public patience is giving out. Nevertheless, we must
realize that the resources of our country are limited and not enough to settle
the problems accumulated over the last 20 years. I assure you that nowhere in
the world the authorities want to see public unhappy. Every leader will be
pleased to see his citizens happy. It is anything but pleasant for me to listen
to the peoples’ complaints about unemployment, expensive medical service or
higher education…  However, we work to
settle the accumulated problems step by step.

What is
the way out of this situation?

I don’t
think that we are at a stalemate. I believe that a political dialogue and
implementation of admissible suggestions and programs is the only way to
resolve the existing problems. The people have not invented any other method
yet. One can't possibly have everything at once.

Let’s
touch on the foreign political agenda. The Association membership in the
European Union or hypothetic integration in the Eurasian Union… How much
Armenia is interested in the Association membership? What will it specifically give to Armenia?
And is it possible not
to isolate from the integration processes in the Eurasian region against the
background of closer integration in the European space?

It is
impossible to provide simultaneity of the integration processes in the European Association
and Eurasian Union. And for the years of independence the foreign political
course of Armenia proved that. During all these years we were deepening
partnership with Russia, being an
active member of the CSTO. At the same time, we were developing
close relations with Europe and the West. The multi-vector foreign
political course is stemming from the interests of Armenia. As for the
Association membership in the EU, it is a rather realistic
project, and Armenia is interested in it both from the political
and economic points of view, as this project will ensure closer
integration of the republic in the European space.  

As for possible
joining the Eurasian Union, one should not oppose these two processes. We
should continue active integration in the Eurasian space, as the Eurasian
region is very much
important to Armenia from the economic point of view. Actually it is not
correct to divide the foreign political course of the country to the
pro-Western and pro-Russian one. Armenia is at its place, and stemming from its
state interests, it is building relations
with these or those states and organizations. And these
relations are not built according to the principle  - one at the
expense of another one. There are priorities which the state is guided
by stemming from its interests.

Mr Sharmazanov, the situation has again
worsened at the Armenian-Azerbaijan border for the last period of time. What is
the reason of the enemy becoming so much active?

 Baku's
frequent provocations on the border with Armenia are conditioned by the
upcoming presidential
election in Azerbaijan. And practically before all the elections in the neighboring
republic its leadership takes similar sabotage so that to raise their image within the
country. One should not forget that in Azerbaijan the  anti-Armenian
policy has a rank of the state one. And by such steps Baku again proves that it
is not ready to peaceful talks on Karabakh conflict settlement.