Posted on October. 11. 2024
In recent days, the South Caucasus, which is actually the eastern Armenian highlands, is experiencing an unprecedented geopolitical upheaval; In that commotion, if Armenia and the world Armenians in general do not strategize at every step of way, in order to prevail in the geopolitical chess.
It is important that in this general atmosphere, Armenians always remember, know what is the real motive, why the Russian Federation is masterminding the elimination of the Armenian state by turning it into “governorate” within a new typ of Soviet Union led by Moscow.
If during Fall 2020’s 44-day unprovoked anti-Armenian aggression genocidal Turkey and Azerbaijan were secretly joined by Russia, now it is already a shocking fact that Pres. Putin’s Russia is openly conducting an anti-Armenian policy. Armenia and world Armenians are increasingly discovering that the Armenian nation is confronted with a genocidal trio. Why? Many observers believe that a Republic of Armenia equipped with an enhanced economy, defense, political stability, strong Democracy, advanced civil society, education and technology can pose a serious to the autocratic rule of Azerbaijan’s despotic ruler Pres. Ilham Aliyev, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Russia is using Azerbaijan as its proxy in order to undermine the Belt of Democracy stretching from the Scandinavian and Baltic states to Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia and their efforts to join the EU and the collective West.
Apparently, the great servants of the Russian whimsical interests are the pro-Russia puppets inside Armenia — the members of that 5th column, mainly Catholicos Karegin II who has usurped the Holy See of the Patriarchate of All Armenians, the old regime kleptocrats, along with the leadership of the Supreme Body of the ARF-Dashnaktsutiun Armenia.
These elements are always ready to raise deafening and misleading much ado in order to destabilize Armenia. Why?
They are peddlers of Russia’s hegemonic dreams of a forcible landgrab in the world’s most important, most valuable real property, the southern region of the Republic of Armenia, Syunik’s Meghri region.
Russia’s imperial ambitions now seem absolutely detrimental to the national interests of the United States, France, the European Union and even the Islamic Republic of Iran.
On September 5, during a TV interview with Armenian political scientist Hovsep Khurshudyan, the TV host of the “AZAT ZROYTS” program of Armenia, Arthur Kirakosyan, asked: “What does that mean? … Russia is trying to reinstate itself a facilitator of Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations by misusing the tripartite November 9, 2020 statement (between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia)” in order to carve out the territory of Meghri corridor from sovereign Armenian republic.”
Khurshudyan stated that (Russia’s) Kopitkin made harsh statements against Armenia. “Who is he to decide, what orders and instructions to give?… (Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson) Zakharova is insisting that “Armenia should return to the CSTO!” This (Russian) rudeness shows that they have run out of trump cards against Armenia and now the are playing scare cards and bullying tactics against the Armenian authorities. They’re trying to intimidate and exert pressure as they have no other levers of pressure. They tried to push Azerbaijan to “escalation” (of war). (Baku) didn’t go for it.”
We have to monitor carefully. All these developments are engineered by the Kremlin in order to create confusion, muddy the waters in order to ultimately forcibly occupy Armenia’s Meghri corridor that connects Iran to Europe via Armenia and cut off Armenia from the Gulf states and the greater Middle East.
Regarding the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” Russian secret program, Hovsep Khurshudyan pointed out the fact that “Iran has expressed strong opposition to any border changes in the region.” Even the Revolutionary Guard Corps of the Islamic Republic of Iran has condemned it (The Russian ploy) on their Telegram channel. Even though the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is considered the most anti- Western and, in some sense, pro-Russian force, yet they are regretting for making a mistake in helping Russia in the war against Ukraine.”
“To the detriment of their national interests,” Kirakosyan underlined.
Khurshudyan responded: “Yes. To the detriment of their benefits arising from the Nuclear Deal (with the US/EU). … The new rulers will not allow such a mistake. They are aware that Russia is conspiring in obstructing the Armenian-Iranian border under the pretext of “Zangezur Corridor.”
Khurshudyan quoted the Iranians in their unmasking the Russian double-talk: “They are telling us that ‘there will be no corridor there, only a road, etc., etc.,’ we know very well that they want to make a corridor there and in the name of this corridor they want to deprive us of our connection with Armenia. And we will not allow that.”
Is Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan aware that by creating unjustified upheaval in Armenia he is becoming an accomplice to the Russian-backed 5th column in Armenia in undermining the Armenian state’s sovereignty and independence?
The current geopolitical developments in Eastern Europe can be in favor of Armenia, if surely the Armenian leadership and civil society take advantage of the historical opportunity in order to strengthen Armenia’s positions.
Armenia is well-positioned to carry out integration with the European Union (EU).
Integration with the EU Armenia is vital. However, such a crucial decision should not be made by the government. The voters should decide through a referendum.
Healthy Extra-parliamentary forces are united behind the proposed referendum for integration with the EU. A signature-gathering campaign has started throughout Armenia. A minimum fifty thousand valid signatures must be gathered over the next two weeks or 40 days in order to move forward.
The initiators of signature gathering have stated that “even if they succeed in gathering the minimum fifty thousand required, will not stop and they will vy for one hundred or even one hundred fifty thousand signatures. That’s inspiring.
On September 5, according to the results of a poll on YouTube, in just a few hours, 7,200 voters expressed their opinion about being in favor of EU integration or being against it.
87 percent voted for Euro-integration. Armenia should procrastinate. This initiative deserves rapid execution and comprehensive support.
Yes, cautious policy is a good thing, but being overcautious can be harmful.
Armenia should annul all the illegal transactions by the 2nd and 3rd kleptocratic presidents and subject them confiscation of all illegally-acquired assets. Armenia should also cancel all the illegal transfer of all strategic assets to Russia or Russian companies, which serve as proxies of the Russian Federation.
Strategic assets include oil and gas pipelines pipelines flowing from Iran to Armenia and to Europe as well as Armenia’s railway system among others.
What is now called Azerbaijan should be constantly reminded that today’s Azerbaijan is a Russian concoction engineered in 1918 by the Soviet Kremlin in order to be used as a ‘bulwark’ against the Free World. The entire world knows that Coca-Cola is older than the so-called ‘Republic of Azerbaijan.’ Baku knows, it’s sitting on a time bomb fueled by several internal and external conflicts that continue to pose a threat for implosion in Azerbaijan. (See map)
How can USA-EU-France-Armenia-Georgia counter the joint Russian-Azerbaijani-Turkish bullying against Armenia? They should mount a political counter-offensive and lobby in the corridors of power and enable the International Criminal Court to bring genocidal Aliyev to Justice for his genocidal deportation of the indigenous 120,000 Armenians of Artsakh, uprooting them from their ancestral homeland of thousands of years.
Aliyev and his Eastern as well as Western enablers and collaborators should be brought to Justice at once. Time is of the essence.