“168 Zham” criticizes riot police for using force against several dozen activists who protested outside the Russian Embassy in Yerevan on Wednesday against Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine. The paper says the Armenian authorities may have thereby tried to demonstrate their loyalty to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “In any case, it was an act of defense of the aggression against Ukraine,” it claims, adding that the Armenian authorities do not and will not hamper demonstrations outside other foreign diplomatic missions.
“Zhamanak” says the silence maintained by the Armenian government in connection with the crisis in Ukraine is not a very bad thing after all. The paper says that Yerevan might have been forced to endorse Moscow’s actions in Kiev. This is not to says, it adds, that Armenia should not have spoken up about the dramatic developments.
“Aravot” believes that many Armenians continue to be influenced by “propaganda,” including on the Ukraine crisis, aired by Russian TV channels retransmitted in Armenia. The paper says that as well as justifying the Russian actions in Ukraine the Kremlin’s propaganda machine is keen to discredit “the concepts of freedom and democracy” and portray them as tools in the hands of the “hypocritical” West.
“Zhoghovurd” reports that President Serzh Sarkisian will attend and deliver a speech at a congress of the European People’s Party (EPP) that begins in Dublin on Thursday. The paper predicts that Sarkisian will again make pathetic statements about his commitment to “European values” and readiness to continue Armenia’s European integration. “But will that be enough for the Europeans in the existing situation? Will Serzh Sarkisian be publicly rebuffed by European [center-right] parties affiliated with the EPP?” asks the paper. “It is difficult to answer these questions given the fact that the EPP has done nothing to rein in [Sarkisian’s] Republican Party that effectively fooled Europe on September 3.”
(Tigran Avetisian)
“Zhamanak” says the silence maintained by the Armenian government in connection with the crisis in Ukraine is not a very bad thing after all. The paper says that Yerevan might have been forced to endorse Moscow’s actions in Kiev. This is not to says, it adds, that Armenia should not have spoken up about the dramatic developments.
“Aravot” believes that many Armenians continue to be influenced by “propaganda,” including on the Ukraine crisis, aired by Russian TV channels retransmitted in Armenia. The paper says that as well as justifying the Russian actions in Ukraine the Kremlin’s propaganda machine is keen to discredit “the concepts of freedom and democracy” and portray them as tools in the hands of the “hypocritical” West.
“Zhoghovurd” reports that President Serzh Sarkisian will attend and deliver a speech at a congress of the European People’s Party (EPP) that begins in Dublin on Thursday. The paper predicts that Sarkisian will again make pathetic statements about his commitment to “European values” and readiness to continue Armenia’s European integration. “But will that be enough for the Europeans in the existing situation? Will Serzh Sarkisian be publicly rebuffed by European [center-right] parties affiliated with the EPP?” asks the paper. “It is difficult to answer these questions given the fact that the EPP has done nothing to rein in [Sarkisian’s] Republican Party that effectively fooled Europe on September 3.”
(Tigran Avetisian)