WHAT ELSE CAN THEY DO BESIDES BEGGING?

The International Monetary Fund expressed worry on November 7 about the share of the government in the oil and gas sector in Russia. The worry is clear considering that the Russian government is presently conducting a policy of reducing foreign ownership in the oil and gas sector and keep the sector under the control of the Kremlin. This wish is natural, and the reaction of the IMF is natural, which represents the interests of the Western companies and governments, which are reluctant to let the Russian oil and gas wealth go.
In the long run, in the geopolitical context and with regard to Armenia this question has an indirect relation. But there are nuances in this story, which are directly related to Armenia. The same International Monetary Fund does not express worry about the reality that the energy sector of Armenia is taken over by the Russian government. Not an IMF official, let alone its representatives to Armenia expressed worry about the actions of our government. If the IMF is so worried about the growing government share in the energy sector of Russia, how about an almost 100 percent share of the same Russian government in the energy sector of another country, even though this country is referred to as a strategic partner.
On the other hand, there is nothing surprising that no Western organization pays attention to this reality in Armenia. Simply they think that this attention is unnecessary because the Armenian government officials state that there is nothing dangerous about the dominance of another country in the energy sector. For instance, the minister of defense stated that the worries that are still expressed in Armenia are the result of anti-Russian ideas. For the government officials of Armenia it is difficult to imagine that these worries may stem from objective judgment. And this judgment prompts that handing the energy capacities of the country to Russia is the same as giving the switch of Armenia to Russia, and deprive the country of choice.
The Armenian government might be right when it relates the country’s security to Russia. It might be right when it considers Russia as our only friend. But when we give our energy sector to the Russians, it means we do not want to have other possibilities of security and other friends, or interests. Serge Sargsyan says there is no case when Russia used its influence for political pressure. Serge Sargsyan may be right. But can he guarantee that if tomorrow the interests of Armenia suddenly require something that is against the will of Russia, the Russians will not use their energy levers. Can anyone in Armenia in charge of the country’s security guarantee this? Simply there has been no necessity so far because the Armenian government is begging Putin to report to him. Why should Russia use its levers? Why should it do if the minister of energy of Armenia states that even if the Russians wish to give up the management of the nuclear plant earlier, the Armenian side will ask them to stay. And what else can the Armenians do besides begging the Russians to stay? Otherwise, the Russians will stay by force, and will not invite to Moscow for a report but somewhere in the region of Krasnodar, especially that the president and the government officials of Armenia have considerable experience of work with the governors of Russia.
HAKOB BADALYAN

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Headlines for September 05, 2008

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