70 Percent of the Armenian Population Expects Further Development of the Armenian-Russian Relations: Aram Safaryan

• 03.18.2017, 16:40
•  EEU,  Armenia

The visit of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to Moscow and his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is a very important event that reflects the high level and prospects for the development of the Armenian-Russian relations. Aram Safaryan, the chairman of NGO ''Integration and Development'' said this during a press conference at "Sputnik-Armenia" press center.

Safaryan said that NGO ''Integration and Development'' together with the Eurasian Expert Club implemented a political study and clarified the attitude of the Armenian society towards the Armenian-Russian relations and the importance of this foreign policy vector in the electoral programs of the political forces participating in the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 2 in Armenia.

"A study among Armenian society showed that at least 70 percent of the population expects further development of the Armenian-Russian relations," Aram Safaryan said. He also noted that the majority of Armenian society expects from the Armenian government some certain steps to improve the economic situation in the country, including implying an increase in the Russian investment level and further deepening of Armenian-Russian relations.

Safaryan noted that Russia is also interested in contributing to the development of certain sectors of the Armenian economy and the establishment of new agricultural organizations, taking into account Russia's policy on import substitution.

"The main political force that has for many years adhered to the vector of development of cooperation between Armenia and Russia is the Republican Party of Armenia," Safaryan said, adding that other two parties, which have a significant contribution to the development of the Armenian-Russian relations, are the "Prosperous Armenia" and "National Armenian Congress" parties. "It is very likely that the political forces that always consistently supported the development of relations between Armenia and Russia will win at the parliamentary elections," the expert said.

Safaryan stressed the importance of Armenia's sincere and transparent cooperation with the West, noting that it is clear from the conversations with diplomats and political figures of European countries that they also understand the importance and non-alternative nature of Armenia's military-political cooperation with Russia. "There is no other center of power in the world that would assume all this burden of relations and act as a military and political patron of Armenia," Aram Safaryan said. "The policy of Armenia, based on the development of a military-political alliance with Russia and mutual trust, mutual assistance and understanding with other centers of power, is very correct and at the moment it has no alternative," Safaryan concluded.

The expert noted that in the current situation of clashes of civilization between Russia and the West, the need to implement a choice of civilization for Armenia may contain many threats. And in this case, the transparent, open and sincere position of the Armenian authorities is of great importance from the point of view of the security of the country.