Baku, Azerbaijan, June 1
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
After Nikol Pashinyan was elected prime minister of Armenia, the country’s geopolitical orientation shifted towards the West and the US, UNESCO Cultural Diplomacy, Governance and Education Chair Holder, Director of Diplomatic and Strategic Studies Center in Paris, Naciye Selin Senocak told Trend June 1.
“Pashinyan, after being elected as prime minister, said that he would first of all fight against oligarchs and corruption, but it was known that Pashinyan’s goal was namely the pro-Russian forces,” she said. “Despite Pashinyan’s statements that in his power struggle he doesn’t need support of the Open Society Foundations, its head George Soros in his accounts on social networks said that the Foundations were actively working in combating corruption in Armenia.”
She noted that the events taking place in Armenia are somewhat reminiscent of the events in Ukraine and Georgia.
She added that political changes in Armenia are a real threat for Russia, which has a large military base in the city of Gyumri.
“In order to avoid the recurrence of the Ukrainian scenario, Armenia seeks to maintain good relations with Russia,” she said. “However, at the same time, in order to get rid of a 29.4 percent poverty in the country and an 18 percent unemployment, Armenia wants political and economic support from the West, including the US, and thereby get rid of Russia’s influence.”
“If Armenia doesn’t withdraw from the occupied Azerbaijani lands, it won’t be able to achieve economic and political stability,” Senocak said.
Meanwhile, Pashinyan is extremely worried and displeased with the strengthening of relations between Russia and Turkey, she added.
“Armenia also negatively accepts the fact that Turkey and Russia signed a deal on the S-400 Triumph air defense systems,” she said. “Against this background, Pashinyan stated that he is ready to repair relations with Turkey.”
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