Hayk Babukhanyan: “The Eurasian idea is the most suitable for Armenia!”

The deputy of National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, the chairman of the party “Constitutional Rights Union”, the vice-chairman of the commission on science and education of Inter-parliamentary assembly of the CIS Hayk Babukhanyan made a speech at the international forum “The Eurasian economic prospect”. He told what occurs in the republic, as the European Union influences a situation and how the people see the future of Armenia:

- Everything that occurs in Armenia is anyway connected with a geopolitical situation. Armenia, though the small country, but is where the geopolitical interests of many powers are crossed. Therefore if something occurs in the internal political life suddenly, the threads should be looked for in the West as a rule! Because there is Karabakh, there is the Armenian-Iranian border. It is the small territory, but very important - it stops the Turkish expansion up to China.

Firstly, we will estimate the threats in the region of South Caucasus. Turkey more and more actively realizes the policy of a neo-Osmanizm, that is revives the ambitions not only in the region. Look how develops the neo-Osmanizm advance: one petal of expansion to Russia, another - to the Crimea, one more - to Bulgaria, further - the Arab countries and so on … Armenia doesn't allow to be developed by the territory at once to several petals of the Turkish expansion!

That is, we see that Turkey and Azerbaijan are ready to develop aggression against Armenia in any opportunity. Turkey is involved today in the Syrian conflict. It is impossible to forget what role Turkey played in provocations and incitement of civil wars in Libya and Egypt. Therefore, speaking about formation Eurasian the union, we have to consider first of all not threat of expansion of the European Union to the east, but threat of the neo-Osmanizm based on a pan-Turkizm and Pan-Islamism.

The Armenian-Turkish border is, in fact, not only the border between Armenia and Turkey, but also between NATO and CSTO. And it is not simply border, but the southwest boundaries of CSTO! Now we will pay attention on what NATO intentions and what standards work there. The USA seeks to squeeze out the pro-Russian forces from Armenia. The country, the member of NATO, Hungary transferred recently the Nazi - murderer Azerbaijan which having freed, heroized it and at the same time continues to develop the programs of cooperation with NATO actively. The member of NATO Turkey is our worst enemy which threatens our safety. Being the member of NATO, it occupied a half of Cyprus and NATO can't explain in any way why this issue still isn't resolved yet. NATO involved us in three doubtful military operations: Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo. And, eventually, who is against cooperation, development of programs with NATO? But this cooperation has to be: a) mutually advantageous, b) not to the detriment of integration processes in CSTO.

There is an impression that the international obligations to the European structures, assumed by Armenia, became burden for it instead of the useful factor stimulating the development of the country. It turns out so that we lost the part of our sovereignty. And if in Soviet period the republics had obligations to Moscow, now these obligations gradually start concentrating in various European links.

Really the international obligations have to be unilateral, really Armenia or other CIS countries shouldn't derive the benefit from this? And if we say that as a result of these obligations we appeared before a categorical choice today and that our safety is under the threat, so it is not something so. They demand from us the adoption of laws on alternative service for sectarians, about protection of the rights of sexual minorities, etc. And if we, really, have to respect the rights of this or that group, so why shouldn't respect the right of the majority or a right of sovereignty of Armenia and other countries on the same international scene?

When we cooperate within the CIS, similar requirements aren't put before us. When we cooperate within CSTO, a situation is another - our partners assume big obligations in relation to Armenia. And here only we have unilateral obligations in a case with Europeans.

Yes, we voluntary assumed these international obligations and we wanted and want that the European criteria worked in relation to our country and in our country. But when we voluntary took obligations more than 10 years ago, we assumed that Armenia won't be exposed to blockade from Turkey any more and that European “well-wishers” will force the partner, the member of NATO Turkey, to open border and to stop blockade of Armenia. We assumed that we enter into the European family in which the butcher Safarov won't be released. We assumed that snipers won't kill our soldiers on our borders the, won't fire the villages at our border; we assumed that Armenia will not hear threat about aggression daily. Yes, we assumed …

So we went on this European way, but this way showed that meanwhile it is a way in anywhere or rather, not there at all.

Now about the European court. Armenia lost in court because of non-compliance with any rights of sectarians, the European court recorded in Armenia the violations of the religious rights of “witnesses of Jehovah”.

Europeans demand in the law on alternative service to create special conditions for “witnesses”. This law raises a question of protection of the rights of at most hundred people, but the same law calls into question the rights of three million to be protected from external aggression, to have open borders, to have the right to send the children to school in safe conditions; it is a question first of all of border villages.

Our European “well-wishers” don't see the rights of these people? They see the rights of hundred people, but don’t see the rights of three million? It is clear, that sectarianism is not casual phenomenon and it is directed on shaking of defence capability, unity, public tranquillity of our countries by foreign special services. Sectarianism growth disturbs today very much: according to experts, the number of sectarians in Armenia reached 300-350 thousand. About a half of them is in the ranks of totalitarian destructive sects. We move to a law superiority, but actually these sectarian organizations encroach on our moral laws, preaching the theories everywhere. And when we want to make changes to the law “About the religious organizations” in order to settle this issue, I’m one of coauthors of the draft of this law, so the same Venetian commission starts obstructing.

Sources of hysterical campaign are obvious which is conducted with the party of the western propaganda machine round probability of the entry of Armenia in the Customs and Eurasian union. Liberal “westernized”, I would tell “antinational” — the ideology in Armenia is presented both by the leader of the Armenian National Congress, the first president of Armenia Levon Ter- Petrosyan and members of his block and by Raffi Hovannisian who have gathered 37 percent on recent presidential election and also some other politicians. The Armenian electorate has some layers, one of them is made by the citizens wishing that Armenia went on the way of the next Georgia: to force out Russia from Armenia, to force out the Russian base from the country, etc.

However, vast majority of simple citizens of Armenia still adhere that we have to be in the closest relations with Russia. Each citizen of Armenia clearly sees that exactly the Russian army stands today on the Armenian-Turkish border. At the expense of the Russian assistance in the military and technical sphere our country doesn't concede to Azerbaijan, despite essential distinction in military budgets of two states. If to add the implementation of joint projects in the military industrial complex sphere, the probability of financing of construction of the new block of the Armenian nuclear power plant by Moscow and also its participation in the Armenian-Iranian economic projects, so it is possible to tell that there is a set of serious arguments in favour of entry of Armenia into the Customs Union.

Naturally, the similar situation becomes even more favourable in case of renewal of the Abkhazian site of the railroad work (it connects Russia and Armenia). So if the corresponding referendum would be held, it is possible to predict the following: the absolute majority of the population of Armenia will support the idea of the entry of our country in the Customs and Eurasian unions. Especially as a certain part of society connects with creation of the Eurasian union and a solution of the problem of unrecognized republics, in our case the Nagorno-Karabakh republic which people have the right to live freely on the earth.

There is powerful financing on maintenance of the fifth colon in our countries from the West, recently the president of Russia sounded figure causing concern: for 4 months the non-commercial organizations in Russia received 1billion dollars. Money which comes on “orange channels” doesn't go to sand, but turn into protests, voices, revolts then. At the same time there is a sponsoring by the western countries by hundred millions dollars of creation of liberal base in Armenia which harms to the state. Part of this base is the set of public organizations, the religious sects engaged by mass media and antinational parties, including “Heritage”. Several months ago above-mentioned Hovannisian had no means for introduction of an election pledge in 20 thousand dollars, however two months later he carried out the most expensive election campaign. Where from? The answer is obvious. The matter is that the American and European officials make categorical demands: or - or, i.e. either with them or with Russia. We have to stop practice of presentation of preconditions and ultimatums by joint efforts.

I consider incorrect the opposition of above-mentioned two structures, on the contrary, in the course of creation of the Eurasian project, in my opinion it is advisable to keep close cooperation with the European colleagues, not allowing the promotion of similar ultimatums. I consider that processes on the general Eurasian space, of course, have to be complementary in an ideal. That is, in Eurasia there has to be the general space, the general infrastructures, streams of goods, services. One part of the continent can't serve the development of other part. But, unfortunately, today we see some examples when disconnecting lines become stronger. Before coming to close cooperation on all continent, we have to unite with those countries which are closest to us on the position, mentality, mentality and values.
Armenia has to stand in vanguard of integration processes in the territory of the CIS. The head of our country Serzh Sargsyan pursues absolutely predicted policy aimed at the development of the strategic relations with Russia and active cooperation in the area of integration within CSTO. In particular, the president of the Republic of Armenia noted: “The Russian Federation is our strategic partner, our ally and it means that we are connected by tasks both military and economic safety... Can we connect the issues of our military safety with CSTO, with the Russian Federation and our further economic or political destiny with other country or other union? Certainly, we can’t”.

The Eurasian idea in that sense in which it was stated by the president of Russia Vladimir Putin, is the most suitable for Armenia. We have to not only be built in actively this idea, but also to be in vanguard, to be the state developing this idea and giving impulses for its advance.

When the Eurasian union becomes powerful macro geopolitical formation, then, probably, it will be easier to us to interact with the European Union, easier to create the general continental space together.