Expert voices doubts on EU's ability to address Armenia's geopolitical challenges

Expert on regional issues Armen Petrosyan expressed skepticism about the European Union's (EU) ability to swiftly address Armenia's complex geopolitical challenges.

Petrosyan highlighted the contrasting alliances of Türkiye and Azerbaijan with Russia, emphasizing the absence of a significant Western presence in Armenia, despite its potential equivalence to Georgia's relationship with the EU.

"On the one hand, we have the alliance of Türkiye and Azerbaijan, and on the other hand, very close cooperation between Russia and them, almost at the level of strategic partnership. Instead, what kind of Western presence do we have, although its equivalent should have been Armenia - the European Union, roughly the same relationship as Georgia has, but we don't have that, and in fact, there is no prospect of it," Petrosyan stated in an interview with Armenian media, Caliber.Az reports.

Petrosyan underscored the unique geographical position of Armenia, compounded by intricate relations with neighbouring countries like Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Iran. He argued that these factors hinder Armenia's ability to secure robust Western engagement, a situation that Armenians often overlook.

"Unlike Georgia, our geographical location, problems, and relations with our neighbours, not only Türkiye and Azerbaijan, but also Iran, do not allow us to ensure Western presence in our country. Unfortunately, these are objective realities that we often ignore,” he said.

The expert referenced Prime Minister Pashinyan's commitment to deepen ties with the EU but questioned the practical implications of such statements. Petrosyan emphasized that any cooperation entails reciprocal responsibilities, suggesting that Armenia's capacity to fulfil its obligations may be limited by its challenging circumstances.

“As for Pashinyan's statement that Armenia will approach the EU as much as the EU allows, it depends on how much Pashinyan can take responsibility for Armenia. These are very beautiful diplomatic formulations, but their content needs to be disclosed. Any cooperation implies responsibility, that is, the EU will allow Armenia to approach as much as it can fulfil its obligations, and fulfilling obligations in Armenia's conditions is very difficult, and I have already mentioned objective realities,” Petrosyan underlined.

While Petrosyan acknowledged the potential for collaboration and progress, he cautioned that achieving meaningful results would require considerable time and effort. He stressed the urgent need for swift solutions to Armenia's pressing issues, which he believes the EU is currently ill-equipped to provide.

“Yes, there is room for work, there is perspective, but unfortunately, it takes a lot of time, and our problems require quick solutions, which the EU surely cannot implement at the moment," the expert stated.