20 years of independence; a glimpse into history

PanARMENIAN.Net - The reality proved to be too harsh. Nevertheless, the Armenian nation survived. After the war in Karabakh, Armenia came to gradually recover. But once again, as it has been the case for centuries, the small country in the South Caucasus drew the attention of the leading powers. Unfortunately, all of them viewed Armenia only as a territory inhabited by people who interfere in their far-reaching plans. But be that as it may, Armenian people are not going to make a “territory” out of their country. On the other hand, sadly enough, the growing number of expatriates may one day turn this vision of the Western powers into reality. A country, two thirds of whose population live in the Diaspora, should try to reduce this number, rather than increase it. So far, we’ve had the opposite view and we, the people of Armenia, far more than the state, are to blame for this. For some reason, the Armenians are firmly convinced that they should build and create only in foreign countries. They thought so 300 years ago, and so they think un to now. It’s true that for example in the field of art it is very difficult for young talents to struggle up to heights, but to categorically declare that it’s impossible to live in Armenia is, at least, improper.

If we are to speak of the political aspects of independence, then it must be noted that there are no completely independent countries in the world. Every country has its own interests, for the sake of which it can allow itself to be influenced by another state. At the time being, pro-Russian orientation is a necessary condition for Armenia to survive. Whether it’s good or bad is not to be discussed now. Simply, it so happened. It’s not that Russia is geographically closer to us than, say, the U.S. or EU. Simply there has always been a sense of harmony between us and Russia, although a considerable part of Armenians believe that only the EU and U.S. can ensure a secure future for our country. And here we come to the main point: no one but the nation itself can guarantee free development of its independent state. This is the only truth. In the words of Garegin Nzhdeh: “Pitiful is the people that cannot defend itself. People dissatisfied with their homeland are sick in soul. Possibly the nation settled on one of the most impregnable highlands of the world does not deserve its fate, but fate is never thankless.”

As for building a civil society based on democracy and the like, we should accept that each of the South Caucasus countries interprets and treats all of the above-mentioned in its own way. And when we do not compare ourselves with Azerbaijan, we’ll really make progress. Today’s generation born in independent Armenia hardly imagines another life, another country, but to be honest, weighs it up where to leave for. But these are all temporary difficulties. The most important thing, perhaps, is that Armenia has no other way to go. And this newfound independence can only be protected by a strong army, for he who does not feed his own army is forced to feed that of others.