Epress.am News from Armenia
“There are two parallel processes seen in Armenia today: the first is the rapid, fervent development within Armenia, particularly that which we call civil society — that is, gradually more and more people are willing to take responsibility for the development of the country, said member of the now-defunct Karabakh Committee Ashot Manucharyan during the weekly meeting of the Small Council in Yerevan Saturday.
“The number of these people today is literally very few; even those who have an active civil role — youth — don’t want to assume responsibility in anything. They more so prefer to remain in the role of protesting and reacting, but gradually the balance is changing. While, essentially entering the other process is the outside world, which wants to get something else and fit all this within the framework of this other thing,” he said.
Manucharyan noted that the West — the US, the UK and a number of European countries — want to make Armenia more manageable for them.
“In this sense, a version that’s a Georgian imitation is possible here,” he said.
Manucharyan also spoke of the policy carried out toward Western powers and Armenia’s opposition and ruling authorities, noting that rumors of cooperation between the Armenian National Congress (HAK) and the ruling authorities are untrue.
The US negotiates both with HAK and the authorities and tries to appease each side by saying it’ll try to get the other side to concede somewhat, he said. “It seems that everything is logical, but this way the US tries to guide the process and take control of the situation,” said Manucharyan.
The second fact, according to the opposition activist, “is horrified Russia’s entry into these processes.”
“Russia notices that they’re taking his beloved piece of land from under him and Russia too, in turn, perpetually tries to find ways out, but his tools are fewer and more primitive: a hammer or an ax, which he will take and attack, and the problem will be solved,” he said.
Manucharyan considered this fact very dangerous because he finds that Russia cannot surrender this territory.
“They too work with both HAK and other forces, and the authorities. Now from these two processes, which will take us where, it’s hard to say, but today the West is winning: they are more sensitive [delicate] and precise in their work. But at any given moment, Russia can turn the tables: it can [be in the form of] either shots or clashes. Russia has such strength and opportunity here,” he said.
The Small Council is a local sociopolitical group that resumed its activities a few months ago after a brief hiatus. The group, through intensive discussions on a wide variety of topics, intends to create ideological, cultural, political and civil approaches to current, post-industrial society. The group currently operates as part of the umbrella opposition bloc the Armenian National Congress.