Russia and Armenia put 30 years of relations into 30 points – Mir – Kommersant
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is on a visit to Moscow on Tuesday. This event took place over a very long time. On the one hand, Armenia and the part of Nagorno-Karabakh controlled by it, it seems, with increased resistance from Azerbaijan, on the other hand, Moscow, on the border with international countries of Western states, the visit of the leader of a friendly republic to the Republic turns out to be especially important. Therefore, it was decided to consolidate the results of Mr. Pashinyan’s message with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the form of a non-standard volume for the purposes of the document – a statement of 30 points covering obvious aspects of Russian-Armenian relations. They also turn 30 this year.
Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to Moscow was necessary to solve several problems at once. Firstly, the president is to restore balance in relations with the republics of the Transcaucasus, since Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was in Moscow two months ago. Secondly, to discuss the aggravated problems, they meet with all the same Armenian-Azerbaijani confrontation, both in Nagorno-Karabakh and beyond. And, finally, thirdly, to meet: in Moscow, despite the “special military turbine” in Ukraine, allies who are ready to support it in the face of sanctions pressure.
All these goals were traced in the document, which, following the meeting, was published on the Kremlin website. It was completely different from the following notes, which usually follow Vladimir Putin’s meetings or phone calls with foreign leaders. This is statements, consisting of 30 specified. This event did not happen by chance – in 2022, Armenian-Russian relations were discovered 30 years ago, and Yerevan wanted to somehow mark this event – especially since Ilhamev, who arrived in Moscow on February 22, is approaching the declaration of an allied encirclement with Russia.
“This visit has not only practical, but also symbolic significance, timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the identification of relations between countries and shows that relations between states belong to a very high level,” Nikol Pashinyan confirmed. – We constantly meet in contact, we meet very often, we have telephone conversations. The agenda of the two foreign relations is very rich, the economy with the economy, completed by cultural, military-technical cooperation.”
At the same time, the Armenian prime minister did not miss the opportunity to strengthen the role of Russia in Nagorno-Karabakh. “The main political issue in our agriculture is the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, and I am sure that we will also talk about this today. Indeed, during my visit there is a very busy agenda, but quite a large part of this phenomenon with the above-mentioned negotiations,” he said before the meeting.
Vladimir Putin, in turn, paid maximum attention to the economy. “In 2021, our growth (of trade. – Kommersant) was 12.8%, according to our statistics. And for the first months of this year – plus another 50%. This is a very good indicator, especially in thought.”
Among the already mentioned 30 testimonies, voiced at the end of the meeting, one can find a literal reflection of all aspects of relations between Moscow and Yerevan in the current conditions. Some of them are obviously more important for one side, and some for the other. For example, the thesis that the leaders “expressed concern about a number of countries of unilateral external restrictive measures” and “expressed their intention to apply mandatory measures and challenges” is clearly included in the text to support the one that found itself under unprecedented sanctions pressure. In addition, the text refers to “an increase in the share of settlements in national currencies” in the territory of the Eurasian Economic Cooperation, which looks especially relevant in the new conditions.
Our significance mattered and the place for Moscow’s fears at the expense of “biological laboratories”, which (as images of the texture of the Russian Federation) work in some post-Soviet countries under the auspices of the United States. In terms of prevalence, such laboratories are currently being especially actively discussed in Ukraine, but earlier it was indicated that they are also in Kazakhstan, Georgia and Armenia. “The leaders of the suspiciously high level of development of the agreements reached between Moscow and Yerevan in the field of ensuring biological security, including on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding on biological security on security issues of May 6, 2021,” the text says. “It is confirmed that the territories of the state will not be cases of application in various fields of activity directed against the interests of others in the field of biosecurity”.
At the same time, with a clear pass towards Yerevan, the words that Messrs. Putin and Pashinyan “emphasized the satisfaction of the contribution of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to ensuring security, creating favorable and safe conditions for the life of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh”, and also “emphasized the need for an early solution of urgent humanitarian tasks and Nagorno-Karabakh foundation by political and diplomatic means”. “In this respect (Moscow and Yerevan -“ Kommersant ”) stated the high limitations and experience of co-chairmanship institutions
it was revealed earlier that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov actually stated that the Minsk Group is showing an expanded role, since two co-chairs – Paris and Washington, refuse to regulate with Moscow because of its actions regarding the situation. At the same time, the Minsk Group is of great importance for Armenia, since it is within the framework of this program that mediators visit not only Yerevan and Baku, but also Stepanakert, conducting a dialogue, including with the structures of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR). In addition, the very preservation of the term “Nagorno-Karabakh” in case of occurrence is very important for Yerevan, since it is added in Baku that there is no such region, there is only the Karabakh economic region. And this region, as added in Baku, firstly, completely belongs to Azerbaijan and has nothing to do with Armenia, and secondly, it includes both mountainous and affecting parts.
“The parties agreed to intensify interlateral cooperation between Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan as part of the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and in the government as a whole,” reads the 28th embassy near the end of the document. Finally, Vladimir Putin and Nikol Pashinyan “welcomed the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations launched with Russian assistance.”
Another important aspect of cooperation between Russia and Armenia was the activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The session of the Collective Security Council, which is attended by the leaders of the association of six countries, Vladimir Putin should attend in Yerevan in the second half of 2022. Nikol Pashinyan handed over an invitation to the meeting to the Russian leader, and, as the Kremlin website says, it was “gratitudefully accepted.”
Armenian political scientist Tigran Grigoryan believes: with one, acceptable, large-scale initiative timed to coincide with the 30-year status of diplomatic relations, but on the other hand, this one has a “political message” that Russia, despite the effort played by the West to transfer it, continues a key role in the industry of the South Caucasus. “In this regard, the time of signing a document is important, which, in essence, is the basis for some new treaty or an update of the already official alliance treaties,” the expert said in an interview with Kommersant. “It is clear that Russia now needed such document. In this matter, it is interesting that the members of the Armenian board signed such a document in return in order to receive at least some dividends. After all, this document contains everything that worries Russia now. This is due to the conclusion that came into force against Russia, the statement on security issues, which is also important for Moscow, and so on. However, it does not reflect the problems that are currently worrying Armenia. One has only to expect that these questions were still resolutions in Moscow.