Thursday, April 8 2021 16:13

ArmInfo.In my opinion, there were enough topics for discussion during the Pashinyan-Putin meeting. These are the CSTO, the EAEU, problems related to membership in these structures. Moreover, considering the post-war situation, in which  Russia is already providing security in Artsakh. Director of the  Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan expressed a similar opinion  to ArmInfo.

On April 7, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Russian  President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. During almost 4-hour  negotiations, the interlocutors discussed the restoration of trade  and economic ties and transport communications, the normalization of  the situation in Artsakh with the help of peacekeepers, the prospects  for interaction in integration associations in the Eurasian space.   "Armenia has no opportunity for real, direct contact with Azerbaijan  and Yerevan does this through Moscow. Of course, there is the problem  of prisoners of war, Azerbaijan's attempts to exert pressure on  Armenia indirectly through Russia. And, of course, unblocking  communications. The issue in which the interests of Moscow, Yerevan  and Baku are rather contradicting, "he said.

According to the political scientist, today Moscow is striving hard  to avoid the situation hanging in the air after the signing of the  most important Statement of November 9th. And the very document of  January 11th speaks of Russia's desire to lead and develop events  further. Unblocking communications, in his opinion, is the most  important part of this process. Iskandaryan especially stressed that  all this is happening in the pre- election situation in Armenia, in  which it is important for Prime Minister Pashinyan to present at  least some success to the electorate.

At the same time, according to Iskandaryan, contrary to the ideas  widespread in Armenia, Russia does not have unlimited opportunities  to influence Azerbaijan. But Moscow can still influence the decisions  made in Baku. And, in his opinion, it is certainly possible to work  towards strengthening the security of Armenia with the help of  Russia. Another question is how far Russia itself is ready to go in  this direction.  Commenting on the possibility of discussing the  internal political situation in Armenia at the Putin- Pashinyan  meeting, Iskandaryan stressed that the issue rests on the resources  of Armenia, and not on the individuals. According to him, the  question is not who is in power in Armenia today, Pashinyan or  someone else. The question is that post-war Armenia has rather  limited resources. Accordingly, relations between Russia and Armenia  are formed primarily based on this fact, and not on who is at the  helm of power in the republic.

"I don't think that a person who came to power in the way that  Pashinyan did it can meet the interests of Moscow. And yes, according  to some information, one can add to this rather warm relations  between Putin and Kocharyan. But on the other hand, Moscow, by the  way, Yerevan, too, has always been able to distinguish personal  issues from politics, in particular from geopolitics. In this light,  Moscow, I think, expects the end of the internal political  confrontation in Armenia. After that it will talk about its agenda  with the leader, who will win the confrontation, "he stressed.

Commenting on the prospects for the upcoming elections, Iskandaryan  predicted a rather small turnout, since it would be very difficult to  get voters to the elections. In his opinion, people are simply tired.  Tired of everything. And today the society is in shock. But it will  gradually come out of it. Moreover, it is already coming out of it.  Including in the political sector.

"At the same time, I don't think that today two poles have been  formed in Armenia: the authorities and the opposition. There is  Pashinyan's pole, but there is no single oppositional pole with  Robert Kocharian, Serzh Sargsyan, Levon Ter-Petrosyan," Sasna Tsrer  "and everyone else. And I can hardly imagine such pole. This has  never happened in Armenia and I do not expect it to happen now. The  opposition does not hope to take power, but all its forces  individually hope to take their conditional 5%. And this makes this  very opposition competitors with each other, and not with the  authorities, "the political scientist concluded.