DISASTROUS FOREIGN POLICY MADE ARMENIA MARGINAL IN REGIONAL PROCESSES
According to him, Armenia is no longer pursuing a flexible foreign policy and has become a country isolated from all the regional communication, economic, and political processes. Hovhannesyan pointed out the fact of Armenia remaining outside the EU-implemented INOGATE and TRACECA projects, and the North-South railway section skirted the country. According to Hovhannesyan, the construction of the Iran-Armenian gas main is danger as well,as the laying of a gas pipeline with a diameter of 700mm will be of no benefit to either Armenia or Iran.
Hovhannesyan also stated that Armenia`s orientation to Russia has put the country into a most delicate situation. `The international community views Armenia as Russia`s vassal, which makes Europe, the USA and NATO to turn from the country, the LPP leader said. According to him, Russia values Armenia now, as all its other satellites have got out of its control. On the other hand, it did not prevent RF Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to make a statement the other day that Moscow recognizes Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity and sees a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as based only on this principle. According to Hovhannesyan the fact that the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament made a similar statement in Baku the other day testifies to Yerevan`s disastrous foreign policy. The LPP leader said that the international community is now forcing on the Armenian side `a scheme of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that does not meet its interests.`
According to Hovhannesyan, Armenia`s membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is not justified as well, as the country does not border on any of the CSTO members. `Armenia`s membership in the CSTO does not solve its security problems,` he said. Meanwhile, Armenia`s neighbors, Georgia and Azerbaijan, are making every effort to get integrated into NATO. According to Hovhannesyan, it may happen as soon as 2007, in which case Armenia will find itself isolated, as, in case of need, the CSTO members will not be able to render prompt assistance to it through the territory of its neighbors, which will be NATO members.
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