“Zhamanak” claims that Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian’s statements made during and after Wednesday’s meeting with “oligarchs” mean that “Armenia is switching to an emergency regime” because of worsening economic conditions in Russia. The paper says that a growing number of Armenian migrant workers are returning home from Russia because of that. It predicts that the worse is still to come for Moscow as economic sanctions imposed by the West are only now starting to have effects. With Armenia also certain to feel the pinch, Abrahamian is “telling the oligarchy to prepare for the worst,” it says.
“Zhoghovurd” reacts to statements by European Union officials to the effect that Brussels is awaiting proposals from the Armenian government on the future of Armenia’s relationship with the EU. The paper suggests that because of the events in Ukraine the EU is now less “categorical” in its dealings with Yerevan than it was in the months that followed President Serzh Sarkisian’s decision to join the Customs Union. “In all likelihood, they are slowly arriving at the conclusion in the EU that the ‘everything-or-nothing’ formula cannot work when it comes to issues pertaining to Russia’s interests,” it says.
Interviewed by “Aravot,” Russian analyst Fyodor Lukyanov defends the recent controversial statements made by Russia’s ambassador to Armenia, Ivan Volynkin. “Russia has expressed its position on partner states and their involvement in other groupings,” he says. “As we can see from the Ukrainian case, that would generate a serious reaction … The reality is that some countries cannot make a choice and have to act in accordance with the situation, by taking into account their limitations. But if they want to make definitive decisions then they will face the kind of events that have happened in Ukraine.”
“Hayots Ashkhar” has concerns regarding the latest visit of the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. The mediators will visit not only Baku, Stepanakert and Yerevan but also the Armenian-controlled Lachin and Kelbajar districts sandwiched between Armenia and Karabakh. The paper is worried that Russia and the United States may have agreed to put into practice the Basic Principles of the conflict’s resolution that were spelled out by U.S. mediator James Warlick last week.
(Tigran Avetisian)
“Zhoghovurd” reacts to statements by European Union officials to the effect that Brussels is awaiting proposals from the Armenian government on the future of Armenia’s relationship with the EU. The paper suggests that because of the events in Ukraine the EU is now less “categorical” in its dealings with Yerevan than it was in the months that followed President Serzh Sarkisian’s decision to join the Customs Union. “In all likelihood, they are slowly arriving at the conclusion in the EU that the ‘everything-or-nothing’ formula cannot work when it comes to issues pertaining to Russia’s interests,” it says.
Interviewed by “Aravot,” Russian analyst Fyodor Lukyanov defends the recent controversial statements made by Russia’s ambassador to Armenia, Ivan Volynkin. “Russia has expressed its position on partner states and their involvement in other groupings,” he says. “As we can see from the Ukrainian case, that would generate a serious reaction … The reality is that some countries cannot make a choice and have to act in accordance with the situation, by taking into account their limitations. But if they want to make definitive decisions then they will face the kind of events that have happened in Ukraine.”
“Hayots Ashkhar” has concerns regarding the latest visit of the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. The mediators will visit not only Baku, Stepanakert and Yerevan but also the Armenian-controlled Lachin and Kelbajar districts sandwiched between Armenia and Karabakh. The paper is worried that Russia and the United States may have agreed to put into practice the Basic Principles of the conflict’s resolution that were spelled out by U.S. mediator James Warlick last week.
(Tigran Avetisian)