“I would strongly advise many to take into account what Jeffrey Sachs has said.” — Serzh Sargsyan

“I do not consider myself entitled to evaluate the words of a world-renowned, brilliant person. I would simply advise many people who are dealing with that issue to take into account what Jeffrey Sachs has said”,- Armenia’s third president Serzh Sargsyan told reporters today after the court hearing, responding to 168.am’s question about what Professor Jeffrey Sachs was concerned about when he said that the Washington agreement is drawing Armenia into the Iran–Israel conflict.

It should be recalled that American economist and Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs, in an interview  with 168.am, addressed the issue of the “Zangezur Corridor,” noting Armenia’s willingness to place its border with Iran under NATO control.

Jeffrey Sachs found rather shocking for a country to give up its territory in a 99-year lease, like Armenia is doing now, especially to an outside power:

“It is viewed with a lot of security concern by the neighbors of Armenia, notably Russia and Iran. So the claim is that Armenia is going to give exclusive rights to the United States for control over part of Armenia for 99 years.

It’s rather shocking. I think it’s a very dangerous idea. The idea is that the United States will control it, which is rather amazing, both from the point of view of Armenia’s own security, because the United States could pull Armenia into all sorts of trouble, and it’s also alarming from the point of view of Iran, because it’s on Iran’s border. And frankly, the United States is no protection for Armenia against Iran.

The United States is 1000s of miles away. Iran is on Armenia’s border. Given that, it seems to me, personally, a very strange idea and a very imprudent idea. Armenia is mortgaging its future to the behavior of the United States in a very unstable region, and knowing that the United States, for example, has just been to war with Iran.

So think of it from Iran’s point of view here, Armenia says to the United States “sure you take this land right on Iran’s border. We know that you’re at war with Iran. We know that your ally Israel is at war with Iran. We know that Azerbaijan is an ally of Israel. So sure, no problem.” Well, that seems like a real way to enmesh Armenia into a war. I don’t, frankly, understand what the Armenian political leadership is thinking of but this is a very provocative and dangerous move, if you look at it purely from the outside, from geopolitical terms, it’s basically putting Armenia into Israel’s war against Iran. Is that really what Armenia wants to do? Wouldn’t it rather have quiet and some quiet relations, rather than insert itself into what is an ongoing War? I don’t understand it.”

RAZMIK MARTIROSYAN