The new Ambassador of Armenia to Gurgen Arsenyan of Russia is much closer in spirit and disposition to Pashinyan is better than the previous one, said Konstantin Zatulin, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs.
According to the parliamentarian, Vagharshak Harutyunyan (ex-ambassador) was attracted to the prime minister's team solely because of the reputation of a friend of Russia, in order to "cover up" the gradual change of Yerevan's foreign policy line by the fact of his presence in Moscow.
"Now I see no reason for the emergence of any kind of trust between the Russian leadership and the new ambassador, Pashinyan's ally. Formal politeness, of course, will be observed, but nothing more," says Zatulin.
VERELQ reminds: by decree of the President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturian, ex-MP RA NA Gurgen Arsenyan was appointed Armenian Ambassador to Of the Russian Federation.
64-year-old Arsenyan was a deputy of four convocations of parliament and was considered one of the richest parliamentarians, as he had previously engaged in business, including banking. He owns 17 properties and four cars. Moreover, as he writes Hetq.am Until recently, the newly-minted diplomat conducted business in Russia.
Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan was the first to announce the decision to replace the ambassador in Moscow a month ago. It is noteworthy that, as expected, he stated this at a meeting with US Senator Roger Wicker.
According to information NEWS.ru Arsenyan will start working in Moscow in early September. He himself refrains from any public speaking until the end of the inauguration procedure.
Allegedly, Arsenyan was instructed to rebuild work with the Diaspora based on new realities in relations with Moscow, in particular, to reduce the influence of the Union of Armenians of Russia, a structure that is considered hostile to Pashinyan.
The head of the Union, Ara Abrahamyan, regularly calls Russia his "native" country, supports SMO and provides humanitarian assistance to Donbass.
24News journalists, citing sources, assured that the replacement of the ambassador had long been a foregone conclusion, but in Moscow, they say, they were in no hurry to promise him agreman. The reason was anti-Russian statements made by a member of Pashinyan's team.
So, at the beginning of last year, as a deputy, Arsenyan claimed that Russia's military presence in the South Caucasus does not serve as a guarantee of Armenia's security and generally not forever.
At the same time, the ex-MP unequivocally hinted at the possibility of a thaw in relations with Ankara — according to him, after the withdrawal of Russian security forces, Armenia will cease to pose a "threat" to Turkey and will become an ordinary neighbor for it.
The new ambassador will publicly talk about his readiness to develop relations with Russia, but it is unlikely that his appointment portends their improvement, said the leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia and ex-MP Aram Sargsyan.:
"He represents the political force that brought the relations between Armenia and Russia into a deplorable state. If only for this reason it is possible to judge what the ambassador will do."
Sargsyan believes that Armenia will try not to bring the matter to an open rupture, but will maintain economic ties with Russia. As, indeed, with the European Union.
According to the politician, Pashinyan's government "walks on a razor's edge," but at the same time tries to pursue a pragmatic policy: "Yerevan understands perfectly well: if transfer transfers from Russia will suddenly run out — it will be a strong blow. But as long as they are allowed to behave like this, they will continue."
In turn, the leader of the "Mother Armenia" movement Andranik Tevanyan states:
"Relations with Russia will not change, because Pashinyan is changing the foreign policy vector. The Western masters demand that he oust Russia from the South Caucasus, specifically from Armenia - to close the military base in Gyumri, to withdraw the country from the CSTO. Western politicians have chosen a destructive course, and Nikol Pashinyan is fulfilling their orders."
And here's what the Telegram channel "Comrade General" thinks about the new appointment:
"The change of the Armenian Ambassador to the Russian Federation — Gurgen Arsenyan instead of Vagharshak Harutyunyan — marks the irreversibility of the anti-Russian choice made by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the fall of 2022.
Arsenyan's figure is as clear as day. A patented corrupt official, who, like many others, fell into complete dependence on the regime built by Pashinyan, and realized before many that political unscrupulousness is converted into preservation and multiplication of income.
Hence the pro-Turkish sycophancy ("Turkey has never threatened Armenia") Arsenyan, and the hatred of Artsakh ("We cannot risk three million Armenians for the sake of Nagorno-Karabakh"), and so on from this opera. It is now mainstream, which no longer causes wild amazement. But Arsenyan started saying all this even before figures like Simonyan and Armen Grigoryan got involved. He's a traitorous trailblazer. That's why his speeches have sunk into the soul.
Why does Pashinyan remove one from Moscow and install the other?
It's simple. Nikol completes the time of friendship and cooperation with Russia. Vagharshak Harutyunyan was "imprisoned" under a positive, friendly agenda. For smoothing corners, the growth of trade, interaction with the Diaspora.
Gurgen Arsenyan goes to destroy. It is clear that there will be no frontal conflict, because the West is not ready to take on the burden of full boarding school for the newborn Armenian Anti-Russia. To feed her Pashinyan will have to at the expense of preferences from the EAEU — read, from economic ties with Russia. Therefore, Arsenyan will have to deal with:
• Cooling and freezing of political cooperation
• Maximum preservation of mutual trade turnover in these conditions
• The substitution of the Diaspora — the creation of an Armenian association loyal to the Pashinyan regime instead of the opposition Union of Armenians of Russia.
Is this mission feasible? Oddly enough, yes. It is obvious that Moscow, knowing perfectly well where Pashinyan is steering, does not yet see the point (or, rather, the possibility) of launching a direct confrontation with him.
As for the new ambassador, it is well known that he has neither education nor experience in diplomatic work, and is also greedy and has a business in Russia. A good candidate will sell, buy and sell again. There is something to talk about with him."
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