Place given to Nikol at the summit - Moscow does not believe in Pashinyan's smile - COMMENT

Baku. 7 December. REPORT.AZ/ Russia has not calmed down on Armenia yet as evidenced by some photos circulated at the informal summit of the CIS member-states on December 6. The seat given to Nikol Pashinyan at this meeting was an indication of his place as well as the state he represents, in other words, his weight in the CIS.

In his speeches at the pre-election campaign, Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian acting Prime Minister, made populist statements. He said that he would require explanations from Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and discuss the price of natural gas with Russia. However, with the false laughter and the seat shown to him he was given an "it's too early" message. This meeting was preceded by the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union. The chairmanship in this body has passed to Armenia. Pashinyan stressed that they would work to strengthen the Alliance.

However, on October 4, 2017, the Armenian parliament debated the bill on the country's withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union. Nikol Pashinyan, then head of Yelk (Way Out) alliance, said: "Integration with the Eurasian Economic Union hinders the sovereignty in Armenia. It is necessary to achieve the immediate signing of an association agreement with the European Union and restore our sovereignty. " He added that the authorities have led EAEU economy and security to the point of bankruptcy.

The bill on Armenia’s withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union was rejected by 79 MPs and support by 10.

Nearly a year has passed since those events. Nikol Pashinyan has now clasped this alliance led by Russia with his two hands.

Either Nikol Pashinyan's political vision is weak, or he is trying to put his best face forward before Moscow.

Armenia also has a problem with the Collective Security Treaty Organization due to tensions in relations between Pashinyan, the forces behind them and the Kremlin.

The information noted that the summit of this organization would be held on December 6 in St. Petersburg. However, then the date was changed. Assistant to Russian President Yury Ushakov said that the date of the summit was changed at Armenia's request.

Spokesperson of Armenian Prime Minister Arman Yeghoyan denied Ushakov’s statement and said that the Armenian side did not make such a proposal. To add to this, the before their visit to St. Petersburg, Nikol Pashinyan stressed that they did not propose anything of that kind.

Spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said the spokesman's statement was alarming both in terms of form and content: "The words of Russian Vice President Ushakov need no formation, and the statement of Armenia’s acting Prime Minister causes concern in terms of the form and content."

Moscow could have been irritated by two other events that occurred ahead of Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to Russia.

So, on November 29, a clash occurred between the supporters of Russia and the West. About a hundred communists wished to celebrate the 98th anniversary of Armenia's Sovietization. They wanted to lay flowers at the statues near the Republic Square and were attacked by supporters of European integration.

The event was organized by the Armenian Communist Party. Armenian Progressive Communist Party and the Socialist Party also joined them.

Under the police control, the supporters of Armenian integration with Europe held a rally demanding withdrawal of the Russian military base No. 102 from the country. They held placards chanting "Armenia is not free but occupied!" This protest caused the Communists' anger.

An additional police force was involved to disperse the clashing sides.

Another incident occurred on December 3. Local media spread information that a woman Julietta Ghazaryan, born in 1961, who performed cleaning works in a street in Armenian Gumri, who cleaned the street in Armenian city Gumru, was beaten to death by the military of Russian military base No. 102. It was reported that the woman was taken to the hospital with numerous body injuries, closed craniocerebral injury and breast traumas.

However, doctors could not save the 57-year-old woman. Ghazaryan died in the hospital.

The prosecutor of the Shirak region, Karen Gabrielyan neither confirmed nor denied the incident.

The Russian embassy in Yerevan said that the soldier was not involved in the incident.

All these developments show that the behavior and statements of Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters on Russia do not produce a positive effect. Just the other way round, all the actions and speeches are accompanied by failure. Those who brought Pashinyan to power are still weak in Armenia. Nikol Pashiyan’s Armenian-style fraudulent and fake smile will not return confidence to official Yerevan. Moscow has witnessed Armenia’s attitude on the background of the events in this country over the last 9-10 months. Probably, Russia did not expect that its care for Armenian society and, generally, Armenians, as well as investments made would produce such an effect.

Russia has apparently failed learning the real face of this ethnic group for 200 years. Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters really shocked the Kremlin. The attitude to the first person of Armenia observed at the last meeting can be considered a sign in this regard. He cannot persuade Moscow with his smile. In other words, the Kremlin will not believe in Pashinyan’s smile. He is yet unsuitable for use by Russia.