“Armenians in Russia are hostages”
The issue of challenges of the country’s sovereignty has been discussed today at the Armenian Institute on International and Security Affairs. “More than 95 percent said “yes” at the independence referendum in 1991, but we regret to note that our country has never taken the route to the examination of independence,” said Head of National Press Club Narine Mkrtchyan. She agrees with the idea that if the referendum was held today, there would be more people saying “no”. There are many reasons, “Today Armenia is subordinating its interests to the interests of Russia with a number of problems coming from it. The elections with violations are also a problem, which resulted in the existence of illegitimate government. And since the independence the authorities have presented all the problems as an inevitable consequence of independence. Independence has been considered to be guilty of all the problems in Armenia. The people were subjected to manipulation being said that Armenia is small, we are few, it has been decided instead of us.” There is an opinion, that about 300.000 subjects of Russia live in Armenia. Mrs. Mkrtchyan doesn’t know the numbers, but she doesn’t exclude its truthfulness. But she is worried about the Armenians living in Russia. “Armenians living there are hostages.” Economist Ashot Yeghiazaryan is sure that the EEU will also collapse as the powerful Soviet Union collapsed, “Today Russia is a semi-sovereign country, and we aren’t sovereign at all. Armenia could take the route of sovereignty, but two year ago on September 3 that route was closed. We are under the ruins of the EEU.” Mr. Yeghiazaryan thinks that at present we don’t have the potential to get sovereignty: the western countries must support. The economist draws attention to a fact, “The intention of the Eurasian policy is to have a united state, which implies also single currency.”
