Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan paid an official visit to Russia on September 3, a trip that had been expected. A couple of days prior to this visit Russian leader Vladimir Putin traveled to Azerbaijan, where he signed several deals aimed at expanding the political, economic, military, security and cultural relations between the two countries. The Armenian media were quick to label Putin`s visit to Baku and the documents signed as pressure on official Yerevan.
Experts forecast that Russia’s benefit from the establishment of the Customs Union may total $400 billion, while that of Belarus and Kazakhstan may amount to $16 billion in 2015 [4]. Russia`s benefit is incomparably greater that other member states of the union. But it is unclear what Armenia`s benefit will be once the country joins the Union.
The Armenian media`s response was quite sharp, as they characterized Sargsyan`s decision not as Armenia`s surrender to Russia, but as its occupation.
Under these circumstances, some issues in the USA`s relationship with Armenia can also fade into the background, particularly affecting official Yerevan`s relations with NATO, and Washington`s funding of economic and political reforms in the country.
Having continued to occupy the Azerbaijani lands for more than 20 years, which has given it neither economic or security dividends, Armenia prefers to arm itself rather than lift its economy out of turmoil. Compared to its neighbor, Azerbaijan`s prospering economy allows it to buy weapons worth billions of dollars. Azerbaijan is arming in order to liberate its occupied lands, while Armenia is arming to keep control of the lands it had occupied. But there is a psychological point. The so-called Nagorno-Karabakh has existed at the cost of the Armenian budget for more than 20 years, and is not capable of giving anything to the budget. The funding allocated from the Armenian budget to the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh is like a yearly tragedy. And the Armenian budget is completely powerless against it.
Armenian officials should understand that "mills don't grind if you gave them no water". They should be aware of the importance of returning the occupied Azerbaijani lands, benefiting from the regional economic and political integration, solving the economic problems they had faced for over 20 years, and restoring their sovereignty.
Dr. Hatam Jabbarlı
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