The unprecedented warmth in the Russian-Turkish relations is a real challenge to Armenia in the context of regional developments, a political analyst said today, commenting on President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Ankara and his meeting with the Turkish leader.Speaking at a news conference, Hayk Martirosyan also admitted that the scenario was rather predictable in the light of the two countries’ international isolation.

“That kind of unprecedented rapprochement is becoming a real trouble for Armenia,” he noted.“Armenia has ceased to be a subject in international relations, as it prefers the interests of certain allies to its own interests,” Martirosyan said, citing Russia’s weapons trading with Azerbaijan as the most flagrant example.

The analyst said he also sees that Turkey pursues very smart tactics in the political bargaining to gain the desired outcome through different blackmails.

As another problem, he highlighted the absence of multi-vector policies. “It is time for Armenia to find new, high-quality and trustworthy allies instead of replacing the existing ones with new powers. There are [suitable] countries such as China, which has interests in this region and pursues far-reaching policies in seaerch of a counter-balance,” he said, stressing the need of focusing also on other states (Ethiopia, India etc. which were somehow left in the margin for Armenia).

Martirosyan further warned of possible threats to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), highlighting Turkey’s inevitable engagement in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. “I have almost no doubt that should confrontations ever occur, Turkey will have its direct participation. Of course, Turkey’s military engagement will not be obvious (i.e. – in Turkish uniforms), but Turkish subdivisions will certainly take part [in the military actions]. That’s really a serious problem for us as Armenia has no [resources] to counteract,” he said, warning of Turkey’s inevitable military assistance to Azerbaijan.

“Armenia has to reshape its foreign policy agenda to give Russia a clear understanding that we cannot possibly be an object of bargaining in their relations with Turkey,” he said.