analyst Archives

Armenia close to recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh – analyst

April 28, 2016 By administrator

The landmark moment for Armenia to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence is drawing near, says Stepan Grigoryan, a Yerevan-based political analyst.

According to him the process requires an appropriate consideration and timing. “Recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence implies automatically abandoning [the OSCE Minsk Group] format. Azerbaijan has embarked on diplomatic processes to unilaterally withdraw from earlier arrangements. Hence I don’t think we should be the side responsible for dismantling that format. But the moment of recognition is definitely drawing near,” he said.

Asked to comment on the necessary political efforts for Armenia, Grigoryan said he sees quite a lot of steps ahead.

“I have given recommendations many times before, but I see very little feedback. On April 2, for example, I said that Armenia should apply to the UN Security Council, calling for an ad hoc session and coordinating the plan with the Minsk Group. ”

As to why the Minsk Group is silent while it sees Azerbaijan attacking civilians, Mr Grigoryan said that it is now difficult to identify the conflicting party responsible for the escalation, whereas it was much easier to do on April 2, but was not done.

“When Azerbaijan launched hostilities, regrettably no one condemned Azerbaijan. And now that Azerbaijan resorts to provocations, our forces retaliate – and they are right – and it is difficult to say for certain. When the very first ceasefire violations take place, it is quite easy to identify the part responsible for that. Regrettably, the international community had not the strength to tell the truth,” Mr Grigoryan said.

It is the lack of necessary statements that are the cause of the current confrontation.

Bibin created bad image also for Russia – analyst #ElectricYerevan

June 27, 2015 By administrator

In an interview with Tert.am, a Russian political analyst commented upon the social rebellion against the rising power prices in Armenia, admitting that the decision by Yevgeniy Bibin, the CEO of the Electric Networks of Armenia, turned out bad for Russian investors, simultaneously affecting the country’s international reputation.
“Yes, Binin’s activity greatly damaged the reputation of not only Russian investors in Armenia but also the state and national interests of Russia,” said Alexander Krylov, the president of the Society for Caucasus Studies.
Describing Bibin as a common Russian “universal manager’ prone to treat the “inferior class” (those not affiliated with wealthy business circles) with contempt and arrogance, the analyst said he finds that Russian energy companies’ social policies must be built upon approaches responsive to the realities in Armenia.
“Apart from the Russian management’s negative aspects in Armenia, much more undermining is the role played by the domestic ‘fat cats’, whose boundless greediness makes [many] Armenians leave their own homeland and state in search for a better future in Russia and other countries,” he noted.
The analyst said he sees that the poor management in Armenia’s state and business infrastructures too, essentially contributed to the decision to raise the electricity tariffs. “So without any drastic reforms, the problems in Armenia will increase in number from now on too, causing the social slogans to change into political ones,” he added.

I wish the ground would swallow you up – Turkish analyst slams Erdogan’s message to Armenian leader

January 26, 2015 By administrator

A Turkish political analyst has criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s move to invite the Armenian president to the country next year to join the Gallipoli battle’s 100^th anniversary events on the day coinciding with the Armenian Genocide centennial.

“I wish the ground would swallow you up. I see you have turned a blind eye to those people’s pain, but you could have at least abstained from mocking at them. Against the background of such a disgrace, Erdogan is inviting Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to Çanakkale,” Bakin Oran said in an article published in Radikal.

He noted that Turkey earlier traditionally celebrated the the Çanakkale (Galippoli) battle anniversary on March 18. “The president will this year head to Çanakkale with the Azerbaijani despot Ilham Aliyev, the Turkish foreign policy’s biggest ‘attraction stone’. And they will celebrate [the anniversary] on the day symbolizing the heinous atrocities against the Armenians, committed by butchers of Ittihat ve Terakki,” he wrote.

In his invitation letter, sent to the Armenian leader on January 16, Erdogan said that they plan hold massive on April 23 and 24 to mark the centenary of the battle. In his response message, issued shortly after, President Sargsyan said that “it is not our rule to be hosted without receiving an answer to our own invitation”.