In the next episode of the program “Dilemma,” dedicated to security issues, these questions are analyzed by political scientist Narek Minasyan, Daniel Ioannisyan, the program coordinator of the “Union of Informed Citizen” NGO, and Areg Kochinyan, head of The Research Center on Security Policy.
- What factors contributed to the increasing role of Azerbaijan in the region?
- How has Armenia’s membership in the CSTO constrained its ability to establish economic, political, or military relations with the outside world?
- What is the public attitude in Armenia towards Russia?
- In which sectors is Armenia’s dependence on Russia the greatest?
- Do the Armenian authorities possess the political will and strategy for economic diversification and for producing food and other goods according to European standards?
- What risks might arise from Armenian security forces’ officer corps receiving education in Russia?
- Why is lustration important on the path to building a sovereign state?
Narek Minasyan
“From the viewpoint of these 30-year relations, Russia has acquired a rather substantial toolkit to influence Armenia’s political landscape, thereby limiting Armenia’s foreign policy opportunities. It is hardly a secret that for decades, the Nagorno-Karabakh issue itself has served as a significant lever in the hands of Russia as a co-chair, enabling it to maintain its influence in the region.”
Daniel Ioannisyan
“The current approach—specifically, the extrication of the functions of the National Security Service—is, broadly speaking, what the government is doing, and this is the actionable solution.”
Areg Kochinyan
“There is an enormous amount of groundwork and tasks ahead that will require the expenditure of political energy and the demonstration of political will. Instead of endlessly debating who will go to Russia, what they will participate in, or not participate in… Rather than provoking the Russian side with trivial and ephemeral issues, it would be wiser to challenge them on matters from which Armenia could derive benefits.”
