“Haykakan Zhamanak” says the anticipated visit to Yerevan by Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-installed leader of Crimea, could damage Armenia’s relations with not only Ukraine but also the West. “From a diplomatic standpoint, Aksyonov’s visit would mean that Armenia is taking a step towards recognizing Crimea as a part of Russia,” writes the paper. “Armenia gains nothing at all from such contacts,” it says. “It only creates unnecessary tension in its relations with other countries.”
“Why on earth is Armenia is entering such an adventure now?” “Zhoghovurd” comments on the same subject. “This question has no reasonable answer.” The paper says that the Kremlin has simply “instructed” Yerevan to receive the Crimean leader blacklisted by the United States and the European Union. It is at a loss to understand what exactly Armenia will get in return for damaging its relations with the West.
“Zhamanak” claims that Azerbaijan plans to buy more weapons from Russia. “Russia is arming Azerbaijan, while being an ally, so to speak, of Armenia,” complains the paper. “This is a clear indication that Armenia has no allies and that Azerbaijan can periodically attack Armenian positions. For [Ilham] Aliyev, the life of an Azerbaijani soldier is worth nothing. Armenia must think about the price of its soldiers’ lives and … simply demand that Russia stop arming Azerbaijan.”
“Aravot” notes that Russian President Vladimir Putin made no mention of the recent truce violations in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone in his opening remarks at Monday’s meeting with President Serzh Sarkisian held in his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow. The paper says that neither Moscow nor the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has reacted to Azerbaijani shelling of Armenian border villages. “Is this how our strategic ally is going to guarantee Armenia’s security?” it asks. “Russia’s indifferent stance seems to be encouraging Aliyev … Step by step Moscow is demonstrating what a bad security guarantor is.”
(Tigran Avetisian)