Recently a newspaper published an article concerning the announcement of the Russian railways, which was entitled “Will not Sponsor”. The Russian railways are not going to sponsor the construction of Iran-Armenia railways. The one interested in this project is Armenia, thus the one to find resources to implement projects to break the blockade of this country is Armenia as well. I don’t really understand why this Russian company decided to be so honest. Such things have not happened in the past. The situation was different when some Armenian companies were being given to Russia under the formula “property against debt”. Both the authorities and the Russian government were saying totally different things when these companies were being given to Russia. They were saying that those companies would flourish and develop. The impression was that Armenia was making a great deal by giving some companies against huge debt. For example, we gave the fifth energetic bloc of Hrazdan, the power station of Kanaker, which was reconstructed recently and the money that was spent on the reconstruction was borrowed from Germany, thus the budget has to pay this 20 million too. There were other companies which were reconstructed and were profitable. However, the Russian-Armenian cooperation has always been introduced as a great favor to Armenia unlike what the economic consequences would be. The interests of Russian companies in Armenia have always been connected with political interests. Sometime a Russian official honestly said: “Armenia is Russia’s outpost in this region.” Outpost is something like a military basement isolated from external world. Accordingly, it is logical that they will do anything not to let Armenia have active communications and involve in regional projects. In 1996-97 Armenia was actively negotiating with Iran on the issues of building a pipeline. It was expected that Armenia’s interest in such pipeline would interest Iran as well. That country has a problem with breaking the blockade too. Everyone is interested in the Western market. It is a long time that Europe is looking for an alternative source to the Russian energetic resources. This pipeline would be against the interests of Russia, as a result of which they took the pipeline from us. No Russian company made any announcement. Furthermore, the diameter of the pipeline, which was planned to be 1,4 meters, was reduced to 0,7 meter. Experts say that this diameter is not enough even for being a transit country for exporting gas to Georgia. Furthermore, after the confidential meetings and negotiations with the Russian government the Armenian society got a surprise, a bad surprise. They explained to our government that the diameter of the pipeline had been reduced already, but they did not say that the Russian government wanted to take even that small diameter pipeline from us too. The pipeline, which is owned with Russia jointly, is not operating yet. Now it is clear that this pipeline does not interest Iran so much from the economic point of view. The Russian government is not interested in it so much either. The Russian government does not care about its outpost’s interests and the most important thing is that this pipeline has local importance, and that’s all. Furthermore, the fact that this pipeline is not operated shows that every winter we are energetically so unprotected and depend on the Russian gas. Even experts say that giving the pipeline to Russia was economically unjustified and wrong. When the brandy factory of Yerevan was being sold to a French company there were some democratic tendencies in the society. However the French company raised the quality and management level and increased the prices of buying grapes. The new civilized and professional methods of management involved the Armenian companies in competition as well. This process brought to positive development in the economic field. As for the Russian management, it needs support more than it can do because it still suffers from the Soviet administrative management style, thus it can bring new management quality into the Armenian economy. After the recent announcement it is clear that in our country economic relations directly depend on political relations. It seems that the Russian railways don’t have serious economic and financial difficulties in the recent period. When they organize football cups they invite the most expensive teams to play. Thus the announcement and refusal to take part in construction of the railway connecting Iran with Armenia is quite fair. Why should they spend money if we can borrow form them to solve this problem? And if we try to build the railway, at the end of the construction the Russian government will interfere again and become the new owner of that railway. At least the best option will be if Russia becomes a co-owner of that railway but not the only owner.
