Former US envoy: Russia always be important for Armenia

International expert, board member of the Jamestown Foundation and former US ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza has said that Armenia has always tried to sit on two chairs at the same time in its foreign policy over the past few decades, since the period of presidency of Robert Kocharyan.

“On the one hand, Armenia will always depend on Russia. On the other hand, Armenia knows about the experience of the peoples of Central Asia, as well as Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus. Nobody wants to be completely dependent on Russia and be dominated by it. Therefore, everyone is looking for alternatives in foreign policy,” Bryza told Azertag.

He said that Armenian current leader, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, was considered more pro-Western when he first came to power amid the “Velvet Revolution”.

“Then he was very careful not to be too close to Europe or the US. In the first days, months, years after coming to power, he made it clear that the priority of Armenia's foreign policy is the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). If you remember, he made his first foreign visit to Moscow. However, he and all Armenians are disappointed that Russia did not support them more actively in the conflict with Azerbaijan. As a result, many people in Armenia are emotional and, overestimating their geostrategic capabilities, are calling for rapprochement with the West. It is simply impossible to say goodbye to Russia if you are an Armenian,” Bryza said.

In this regard, he noted that Armenia looks at the Russian Federation as its patron.

“Russia and Russian organisations own a big share in the Armenian economy, whether it be transport or energy. Moreover, as we know, Russian border guards guard a big part of the Armenian borders, while the airspace of this country has been integrated into the air traffic control system of the Russian Federation. So, Russia will always be important to Armenia, but Pashinyan, like his predecessors, is looking for a bit of diplomatic space to breathe air and not be completely and exclusively dominated by Russia,” the former ambassador noted.

While speaking about the normalisation of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, the former ambassador found it difficult to unequivocally answer the question whether the negotiations under the EU auspices had reached a deadlock.

“Indeed, so far there is no visible progress. Baku is disappointed that the Armenian side seemed to agree to something in private conversations and then did not fulfill the agreements, as well as France has recently intensified support for Armenia. The EU’s involvement in the peace process is a positive sign. We remember that President of the European Council Charles Michel has been a mediator between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan more than once, and the results of these discussions have been positive,” Bryza added.