Press Review

“168 Zham” is surprised by President Serzh Sarkisian’s participation in the NATO summit in Wales. The paper notes that Sarkisian flew to Cardiff on the first anniversary of his even more unexpected decision to seek to join the Russian-led Customs Union. It says the visit is meant to show the world that despite being a Russian “satellite” Armenia “does not want to be at loggerheads with NATO and the West even if their relationship with Russia becomes hostile.”

“Hraparak” claims that “the civilized world” has lost interest in Armenia after Sarkisian’s September 2013 policy U-turn. “We have become hostages and lost our right to vote and ability to make decisions on our own,” laments the paper. It says that the Western economic sanctions imposed against Moscow will hurt not only Russia but also Armenia.

“Aravot” believes that no foreign power can solve Armenia’s fundamental problems. “Obviously a small country like ours needs to have a powerful ally but we must always bear in mind that in times of adversity any ally may leave us alone and do nothing if we face extermination,” editorializes the paper.

Speaking to “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun,” Stepan Markarian, a parliament deputy from the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), says that the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) has differences with two other opposition parties and the BHK on constitutional reforms planned by Sarkisian. But he insists that this will not hamper continued cooperation among the four parliamentary forces. In particular, Markarian says, they will press ahead with a joint anti-government rally in Yerevan. The date of that rally will be announced on September 30, he says.

“Zhamanak” quotes Suren Khachatrian, a controversial former governor of the Syunik province who stepped down a after a deadly shooting outside his villa last year, as saying that he will soon get a senior government job. “A process of rehabilitation of criminal oligarchy has begun in Armenia,” comments the paper.

(Heghine Buniatian)