Foreign policy of Armenia
The foreign policy of the Republic of Armenia is primarily intended to serve three purposes: national security, the development of economic relations with foreign countries and the worldwide recognition of the Armenian genocide .
Policy of complementarity
Armenia pursues a so-called “policy of complementarity”. The Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanjan said in the FAZ on April 23, 2004: “That means maintaining good relations with countries which - like the United States and Russia - seem to be at odds on some issues. In one part we may have 80 percent intensive relations with Russia, the other 20 percent with the United States or the EU . The emphasis may be different in another area. This should contribute to more intensive economic cooperation and security, in which anyone who has an interest in the region can participate. [...] Our relations with NATO are a good example of [this] policy. Our security guarantees have five layers: relations with Russia and its military presence in Armenia , the collective security agreement with Russia and four former Soviet republics, the CFE agreement, which creates transparency in the field of weapons, our cooperation with NATO and bilateral security cooperation with countries like Greece and the United States, with whom we have just started security cooperation. These layers form our security policy. "
Transcaucasus
Relations with Azerbaijan
The greatest threat to the national security of the Republic of Armenia is the conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh . The two states have no diplomatic relations with each other and are still at war today . The first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan had to resign in 1997 because he was ready to agree to a compromise solution that would have required far-reaching concessions on the part of the Armenians. The new leadership under Robert Kocharyan calls for a so-called package solution, that is, there should be a contractual solution first and then a withdrawal of the troops of the Republic of Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan (around 16% of Azerbaijani territory). This strict policy is supported by the majority of Armenians, but it severely limits the diplomatic room for maneuver. Relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan are naturally very tense, despite the ceasefire that began on May 12, 1994. Azerbaijan is repeatedly threatened with military recapture. Since Azerbaijan can no longer export oil only via Russia via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline , it has the financial strength to achieve military preponderance in the medium term. There is no trade between countries. Entry and transit of Armenian citizens and all other foreign citizens of Armenian descent are also not permitted.
Relations with Georgia
Relations with Georgia are essential for Armenia because Georgia is the only land connection with Russia and is extremely important for Armenian trade. In addition, almost all of Armenia's exports, which are made by ship, go through the Georgian Black Sea ports. This de facto monopoly position repeatedly leads to excessive prices. Relations suffer from the political instability in Georgia since independence. Although some South Georgian regions are predominantly inhabited by Armenians , no territorial disputes or separatist movements arise from this. However, there has recently been a call for autonomy within Georgia.
Given geographical isolation of Armenia and its exclusion from all economic major projects in the region will be in Yerevan much about the reactivation of the railway line from once in operation Abkhazia (Georgia to Armenia Psou - Sukhumi -Tiflis-Yerevan route) discussed. However, there are significant political and economic barriers to the implementation of this project. Because of the longstanding conflict with Russia, Georgia is tying the reopening of the railway line to the solution of the Abkhazia conflict. It is estimated that the revitalization measures alone would cost more than $ 277 million. It is completely unclear whether the parties involved are at all ready and willing to grant the necessary material resources for the realization of this project, apart from political discrepancies.
Relations with Russia
Relations with the Russian Federation have traditionally been close, especially since Georgia and Azerbaijan have clearly taken pro-Western positions, which increases the value of Armenia as a strategic partner for Russia. Armenia and Russia have signed a twenty-year military agreement (which theoretically can be terminated annually). In August 2010, the two countries agreed to extend the military pact that was signed in 1995 and originally intended for 25 years until 2044. Thus, Russia reaffirmed its protective role for Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict against Azerbaijan. Russian troops guard the border with Turkey and Iran and protect the Armenian airspace against possible air attacks. This is important because combat aircraft are very expensive. Until the construction of the natural gas pipeline between Iran and Armenia, Russia was the only supplier of oil and gas to Armenia, and Russian companies hold key positions in the energy and banking sectors. Many Armenians have emigrated to Russia since the beginning of the 1990s and support relatives in Armenia financially. So Russia is an important partner.
Relations with Iran
Relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are also very good for territorial reasons. The Armenian minority in Iran with around 200,000 people enjoys the status of a recognized minority. There are no border disputes. From the Armenian point of view, the fact that relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are far worse than they could be makes Armenia's relationship with Iran crucial.
“[…] The relationship with Yerevan is particularly important for Tehran due to Iran's difficult relationship with Azerbaijan. As for Armenia, the country is trying to strengthen its ties with its southern neighbor in order to circumvent its all-round inclusion: Armenia lies between Turkey and Azerbaijan, both of which it considers hostile, and an unstable Georgia. The objective conditions are given so that Christian Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran understand each other beyond all religious and ideological questions and that close cooperation in numerous areas (politics, economy, energy) is created. "
On October 22, 2007, Armenia awarded Ahmadinejad an honorary doctorate from the Yerevan State University and a university gold medal. Armenia recognized the award as a contribution to justice, sincerity, morality and perfection. On November 8, 2007, the Armenian President Robert Kocharyan received the Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammed Najar for a discussion on military cooperation between the two countries, emphasizing the importance of the Armenian-Iranian relations, which were developing at a high level.
The Iran-Armenia natural gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia opened on April 19, 2007. This gas pipeline is of outstanding importance for the national security of Armenia because it does not have any significant domestic fossil fuel resources. During the Nagorno-Karabakh war in the first half of the 1990s, there were energy bottlenecks in Armenia because the oil and gas pipelines from Russia were repeatedly blown up in Georgia. As a result, the trees in Yerevan were felled to be used as firewood.
Relations with Turkey
Relations with the Republic of Turkey are historically heavily burdened. Armenia does not recognize the border with Turkey after the Treaty of Kars from 1921 until today. In addition, Armenia is waging a worldwide campaign to recognize the Armenian genocide, but Turkey vehemently denies the genocide. She calls for a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a prerequisite for opening the border and establishing diplomatic relations. The Armenian government does not set any preconditions for Turkey. There are Armenian nationalists who are demanding the return of western Armenian areas from Turkey, which were formerly the settlement area of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Not least because of the unreality of these demands, however, this was never official policy. The Armenian economy is suffering from the economic blockade. There is a small amount of indirect trade via Georgia and a direct flight connection between Yerevan and Istanbul .
In October 2009 the foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia signed an agreement brokered by Switzerland on the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of the common border in Zurich . Those attending were Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey , the American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov , the EU -Außenbeauftragte Javier Solana and the British and the French Foreign Minister.
Because the parliaments of Armenia (because of the massive political pressure from the Armenian diaspora ) and Turkey (because of the massive political pressure from Azerbaijan and also because of the negative public opinions of the people in both countries about this agreement) have not yet approved this step , the two states still have no diplomatic relations with each other.
On April 22, 2010, Armenia froze the agreement and accused Turkey of delaying its approval of diplomatic relations. Only if Turkey ratifies the agreement will Armenia be ready to ratify the agreement in order to try to normalize it again.
Relations with the EU
Relations with the European Union have expanded in recent years. In May 2009, Armenia joined the Eastern Partnership together with the five former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus . Under Russian pressure, the country also became a member of the Eurasian Economic Union on January 2, 2015 . On October 12, 2015, the EU and Armenia decided to sign a new basic treaty. Negotiations on this began on December 7, 2015.
Relations with the USA
Relations with the United States of America are good, but at the same time represent the greatest challenge for Armenia's foreign policy. The United States pursues geopolitical interests in Transcaucasia, which are mainly related to the Caspian oil and gas reserves. You would therefore like to bind Armenia closer to you and free it from the Russian sphere of influence. The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh stands in their way because Armenia seems to need Russia as a protective power, which means that Russia can keep a foot in the door in Transcaucasia. From the US point of view, Armenia is therefore both interesting and a disruptive factor (the war with Azerbaijan in particular threatens the safety of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline). Since independence, only Israel has received more development aid per capita from the US than Armenia. Armenia is also one of twenty selected successful developing countries that are to be further strengthened on their way to democracy and a functioning market economy as part of the Department of State's “Millennium Challenge Program”. US companies, especially from the IT sector, have invested heavily in Armenia. The US was reluctant to accept the construction of the natural gas pipeline from Iran. As a means of stabilizing relations with the United States, Armenia has therefore stationed almost a hundred soldiers, mostly doctors and reconstruction workers, in Kosovo and Iraq. Although the “policy of complementarity” is much more flexible and less risky than a classic rocking policy, Armenia's diplomats face major challenges in the medium term if they want to prevent Armenia from being sidelined as a result of the conflicting interests between the USA on the one hand and Russia and Iran on the other device.
See also
- List of Foreign Ministers of Armenia
- Armenian-German relations
- Armenian Embassy in Berlin
- Armenian Embassy in Vienna
- Foreign policy of Azerbaijan
- Foreign Policy of Georgia
- Turkey's foreign policy
Individual evidence
- ↑ Институт политических и социальных исследований Черноморско-Каспийского региона. Retrieved October 31, 2017 .
- ↑ DIE WELT: Russia: Moscow's military will remain in Armenia until 2044 . In: THE WORLD . August 20, 2010 ( welt.de [accessed October 10, 2017]).
- ↑ http://www.caucaz.com/home_de/breve_contenu.php?id=40 The column by Mohammad-Reza Djalili, translated by Vanessa COUSIN
- ↑ Iran's President becomes YSU Honorary Doctor - PanARMENIAN.Net
- ↑ Armenia and Iran discuss military cooperation | Abroad | RIA Novosti
- ↑ Recommendation 751 on the stability and security of the South Caucasus (PDF; 125 kB), Der Deutsche Bundestag , accessed on November 30, 2007. April 2007
- ↑ Diplomatic relations for the first time. Turkey and Armenia sign reconciliation plan faz.net, October 10, 2009 and Big Step Towards Reconciliation Deutsche Welle online, October 10, 2009.
- ↑ Armenia Freezes Peace Process With Turkey Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), April 25, 2010.
- ^ Armenian-Turkish reconciliation frozen New Germany, April 2, 2010.
- ^ "EU Relations with Armenia" ( EAD ), query date: January 10, 2016.
- ↑ "EU and Armenia to start negotiations for a new agreement" (EAD), December 7, 2015. Date of query: January 10, 2016.
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Stabilization and Association Agreement / EU Enlargement |
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European neighborhood policy and others |
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