PARADIGM
20 Feb 2018

Russia has not helped Armenia unconditionally but balanced its interests in the region: Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan

Russian assistance is great, but this is not total and unconditional assistance.

 

Throughout the Artsakh conflict, Armenia in fact did not have unilateral support from Russia. Head of “Voskanapat” analytical center, political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan adds that Russia has always tried to balance its interests in the region.

“The issue of choice has never been raised before them. Not to mention the fact that they haven’t got any decision that, in the event of a conflict, Russia should unilaterally support its ally, Armenia. Although we both are in the same security system, CSTO and in case of war we have some obligations to each other, nevertheless, our country has never had one-sided assistance. Frankly speaking, Armenia has never aspired to it. It is evident that we cannot impose our interests on the whole world,” the political analyst says.

According to Melik-Shahnazaryan, the Armenian side tried to make maximum use of the opportunities of allied relations with Russia, including the military ones. “Our cooperation is very strong, Russian assistance is great, but this is not total and unconditional assistance,” the political scientist notes. Find the details of the conversation in the program “Paradigm”.