RUSSIAN ANALYST CRITICIZES ARMENIAN FOREIGN POLICY

PanARMENIAN.Net - 07.11.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. "Yerevan's drive to balance the interests of Russia and the West has brought no benefits to its people," Andranik Mihranian, a Russian political scientist, told in an interview to RFE/RL Armenian service while criticizing Armenia's foreign policy. He said that only Russia's continued dominance in the region can guarantee the security and wellbeing of Armenians.

"If there is a balance of forces between major world powers Armenia will gain nothing from that," Mihranian said.

Mihranian argued that only Russia has given Armenia full security guarantees since independence, while Western powers have been unwilling to commit themselves militarily. He said some governing circles in Moscow increasingly call for scrapping the special relationship with Armenia and moving closer to neighboring Georgia and Azerbaijan.

However, any shift in Russian policy on the South Caucasus would be highly damaging for Russia. "I have warned in my articles and speeches that by trying to return to the Gorbachev era we would put our relations with Armenia at risk without winning any more sympathy from Azerbaijan. I think that a return to the Soviet period when they would say that both (Armenia and Azerbaijan) are our friends would lead to serious losses for Russia," Mihranian said.-0--