Why does Russia need a consulate in the south of Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan? Opinions
Russian consulate in Syunik
Russia has decided to open a consulate in the Syunik region of Armenia, bordering Azerbaijan. Armenian analysts believe that it only at first glance seems to be an important step that can bring relations between the two countries to a new level. They explain that the functions of the consulate are the provision of visas to this country and the solution of the problems of citizens of their country. In Syunik, there is no need for either the first or the second. You do not need visas to travel to Russia, there are no Russian citizens in this area.
Experts believe that the decision to increase the diplomatic presence in the south of Armenia is not at all diplomatic, but political and dangerous for Armenia.
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Russia’s interests
Russia became interested in the Syunik region after the 44-day war in 2020, when negotiations began on unblocking transport and providing Azerbaijan with a road through the territory of Armenia to connect with Nakhichevan. We are talking about the so-called “Zangezur corridor”, which Armenia declares unacceptable both in terms of terminology and the mechanisms proposed for its activation. The term “corridor” is considered unacceptable here, since it implies the loss of sovereignty in this territory.
Once again, a protest about this was heard when Pashinyan and Aliyev in Moscow began to publicly discuss this term in the presence of Putin.
The Prime Minister of Armenia once again stated that the corridor will not be provided, but the country is ready to provide roads while maintaining its sovereign control. The President of Azerbaijan declared his right to take the initiative on the issue of the Zangezur corridor. And he added that Russia also supports it.
Armenian political scientists believe that the interests of the Azerbaijani and Russian sides in this matter coincide: Azerbaijan wants to get a corridor, and Russia wants to control it under the pretext of ensuring security.
Moreover, before Russia announced its intention to open a consulate in Syunik, the Iranian Consulate General opened there.
What is attractive about Syunik?
Political scientist Hovsep Khurshudyan explains that Syunik attracts the attention of geopolitical centers due to its position at the crossroads. That is why, when negotiations began on the provision of a road through this territory, Russia, Iran and Turkey immediately showed interest.
“Russia, whose influence both in our region and in the world is gradually weakening, is trying to cling to this most important region of Armenia. In particular, the deployment of the EU monitoring mission here, and before that the opening of the Iranian consulate in Kapan, led to the fact that Russia wanted to establish its presence in this important area.
The goal of the West and Iran is to ensure the maximum security of Syunik, that is, the main future trade route between Iran and the European Union, and the goal of Russia is to prevent the creation of this road. Moreover, the Russian consulate, like the Russian military before that, will perform the function of collecting intelligence information for Azerbaijan.”
The director of the Armenian Institute for National Resilience, Gevorg Melikyan, says Russia has been given the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the unblocked roads by a November 9 tripartite statement, although many in Armenia believe that this document does not give Russia such a function.
“If the roads in Syunik open, then, unfortunately, they will be controlled by the Russian Federation, so Moscow’s representation in the Syunik region is increasing. The question will arise whether it is possible to control these roads from Yerevan. Of course it is possible. Just the opening of the consulate shows their attitude to the issue.
The Armenian side constantly states that no, Russia will not control these routes. They maneuver, they say, Armenia will control its roads, but the November 2020 statement is different. And the Russian Federation is taking active steps to show that this is its function.”
Security or new threats?
Armenia is turning into a stage of conflict between geopolitical centers, political scientist Benyamin Matevosyan believes: by gaining a foothold in Syunik, Iran, Russia and the EU do not solve the issue of the region’s security, but create new threats:
“EU monitors will monitor the movements of Russian and Iranian troops, Russian troops will monitor the monitors and Iranian troops, and Iran will monitor the other two. That says it all”.
Director of the Democratic Platform Foundation Garegin Miskaryan believes that the consulate will have another important mission: to change the mood of local residents, to spread pro-Russian sentiment through cultural and educational events:
“It’s a soft instrument. Russia has lost its positions, in the Russian Federation they see that there are no allied relations and are now trying to restore their reputation and position. And they decided to start from Syunik, where they also have plans for the roads.”
According to Miskaryan, Russia is thus trying to show the West that Armenia is allegedly in full solidarity with it.
If the consulate will not serve its main purpose and, as political scientists say, will only deal with the issue of political positioning, then why did the Armenian authorities agree to its opening?
Hovsep Khurshudyan wants the authorities to weigh in on this. He believes that the government, although it has chosen the right path of closer cooperation with the West, is slow on many issues. In some cases, he says, risks are miscalculated, as may be the case with this decision.
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Consulate of Russia in Syunik
