Before the 5th regional conference organized by the American Chamber of Commerce’s Armenian branch, we had asked Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia to answer a couple of questions regarding the level of integration between countries of the Caucasus region and any possible cooperation. We now present our readers with the answers.
– How do you evaluate the level of integration between the three countries in the region-Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan-and are there are any possibilities of cooperation?
– Armenia has always been an advocate for collaborating with countries within the region. Today, as the Southern Caucasus countries are starting to lead negotiations with the European Union in the framework of the New Neighboring Countries policy with the purpose of planning out the Armenia-EU project, we can see a new level of regional integration. On that occasion, I can say that we have improved relations with Georgia during the past couple of years. The frequent presidential visits, conferences held on economic cooperation, the direct connection between ministers coordinating different fields are the right steps to take towards future regional cooperation. We hope that this dynamic will have a positive influence on the other neighboring countries and will motivate them to change their perspectives about Armenia, which will in turn improve regional integration. Unfortunately, at the present, Azerbaijan rejects any initiative taken by Armenia and interferes in the process of regional integration. However, we feel that we can overcome all the obstacles and instill trust between the countries through the means of working together.
– In your opinion, what are the regional economic and political obstacles that we must overcome and as a result be integrated into the world as a unified region?
The main obstacle is the narrow-minded politics led by Turkey and Azerbaijan. With that narrow-mindedness, they try to isolate Armenia and lead us to approve mandatory decisions made regarding the Karabagh conflict and relations with Turkey. Today, we can see some action being taken towards solving the regional conflicts, in particular, the Karabagh peace settlement, through negotiations, and that will help integrate the Southern Caucasus countries. I think Azerbaijan plays a key role here. How ready is Azerbaijan to look at things realistically and refuse making populist announcements with the purpose of delaying the conflict settlement?
– What do you think about the U.S. supporting the three countries in the region, especially Armenia, and the level of economic cooperation?
– The U.S. has always helped us and has looked at Armenia as a stable and trustworthy partner. The U.S. government has shown much aid to Armenia and I would like to emphasize the key role that the Congress has played, as well as the inclusion of Armenia into the Thousand Years war-calls project. Some private U.S. companies are pretty active in the Armenian market and in particular there is a rise in informational technologies in Armenia.