Armenia-EU: Beyond the geopolitical boom and imitation facade
Armenia-EU relations are experiencing a boom in their visible part, but a keen eye behind that bright facade cannot fail to notice systemic and conceptual problems that call into question the durability of a construction built with such architecture.
The reasons for such geopolitical rush are very apparent. The current geopolitical interests of the ruling administration of Armenia and the EU coincide. The EU needs new units in the fight against Russia, and the current administration of our country is ready to mobilize an anti-Russian geopolitical army.
The supremacy of this dominant leads to a situation where European political institutions are ready to turn a blind eye to the numerous and striking manifestations of Pashinyan’s authoritarian rule, unprecedented growth of corruption, and democratic regression within Armenia. One after another, there are assessments that have absolutely nothing to do with the reality of Armenia, moreover, they testify that the EU is easily ready to sacrifice its own values for the sake of strengthening Pashinyan’s power, who is acting in line with their interests at the moment.
The application of the principle “fool me” was recently classically demonstrated in a regular report dedicated to the implementation of the Armenia-EU Framework Agreement (CEPA), in which the assessments of the changes in Armenia have nothing to do with not only the implementation of CEPA, but also they are in deep dissonance with the Armenian reality.
In that report, for example, the failure of reforms of the judiciary was covered up, the corruption and politicization of which were assessed even by the co-reporters on the PACE Armenia issue. The subject of the failure of the fight against corruption, which is recorded in the same Transparency International report, was bypassed. There is no reference to violations of political rights in the country, etc.
Along with the creation of this alternative reality, the same Europeans very honestly wrote that the start of the visa liberalization dialogue requires a political decision, and here the question arises: If Armenia is really doing such good reforms and is so “pro-European”, why doesn’t the EU make that political decision, including at the level of EU member states?
The same dismal situation is also present in the regional assessments included in the report. There is not a single sour or bitter word about Azerbaijan’s continued aggression and threats to use force. And the depopulation of Artsakh is characterized by the term EXODUS, about which I want to elaborate a little.
Replacing the pure and unequivocal ethnic cleansing that Azerbaijan carried out in Artsakh with the word EXODUS is a European bow to Azerbaijan, because it will not imply legal or political punitive steps against Aliyev, that is, the EU that supports Armenia actually avoids supporting us in the most important and vital issues. Moreover, the term EXODUS repeats the Biblical episode when the Jews left Egypt, and this causes a deep misunderstanding. The exodus of the Jews from Egypt was a positive event in their lives because they were hostages in Egypt, not in their homeland and returned to their true lands. The Jews fought to leave Egypt, to have the right to EXODUS. On the other hand, the Armenians of Artsakh were in their homeland and were fighting not to leave it, but for the opportunity to live there. The EXODUS of the Jews was a de facto repatriation, and the forced departure of the Armenians from Artsakh was depatriation.
In other words, calling the depopulation of Artsakh an EXODUS, even in terms of value, meaning, and content, does not come from either reality or Armenian interest. Not to mention that the principles of Artsakh conflict settlement are fixed by the same CEPA, including the right to self-determination of the Artsakh people, the violation of which is now tolerated and actually encouraged by the EU.
Yes, unfortunately the world is in a geopolitical war and each side wants to get stronger by attracting new resources. However, the real friends of Armenia in Europe cannot fail to understand that the adventurous involvement of Armenia in that battle of giants is fraught with serious existential problems for the Armenian people, taking into account the peculiarities of the South Caucasus.
The real friends of Armenia in Europe cannot fail to notice that the current regime of Armenia is not really implementing the reform, democratization, and modernization agendas of the country that CEPA is actually very close to failure at this stage. After all, the Mujahideen of Afghanistan were also anti-Russian, but no one would think of calling them “pro-European”.
In today’s geopolitical sense, Armenia is like an orphan or a vulnerable and disabled child who needs attention and cannot be involved in wars, even geopolitical ones. This is the written and unwritten law of any war.
Armenia-EU real partnership has its own precise and priority agenda, free from manifestations of geopolitical rush. That agenda should include, for example, discussions on the application of sanctions against Azerbaijan, visa liberalization, deep implementation of CEPA, not imitation, implementation of European target programs in various fields.
This series can be continued by remembering that bubbles caused by any boom will one day burst, damaging all parties. In the massive geopolitical struggle, the EU’s goal is to win, and ours is just to physically survive…
ARMEN ASHOTYAN
Vice-President of RPA
Nubarashen CEI
27 February, 2024
