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Really "sovereign", really "fair" deal?
"Fact" "Fact" daily writes: Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the official report, had a meeting in Washington to publish the framework for the implementation of the "Trump Path for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP) project.
Thus, also judging from the initial reactions, the Pashinyan government has received another tangible topic of intensive pre-election campaigning.
Moreover, this topic will be discussed intensively with all possible options, especially in the near future. And it's already spreading. As for the document, specialists consider it to be a "memorandum of intentions" in the classical sense, which does not have legal binding force on both sides, does not imply an obligation.
The signers or publishers themselves use the term "outline". And in the document itself, the word "intentional" is repeated at least 8 times. What is important, however, is that this joint statement or document will not be accepted uniformly by the major powers in the region as well as those with regional interests. Let's just say it was totally predictable.
You see, according to TRIPP's outline, the United States on the Armenian-Iranian border, one can say, gets the right to exploit the territory of Armenia for 99 years, building and maintaining an unobstructed and uncontrolled communication and trade road for Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Before addressing the other details, it is worth emphasizing that the neighboring and friendly Iran is not at all excited by such a scenario, specifically by the fact that the Armenia-Iran border zone is practically being transferred to an American company.
Iran's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia, Khalil Shirgolami, practically confirmed these observations of ours, specifically announcing yesterday. "As for the agreements between Armenia and the USA, our position is clear. we told our Armenian partners that we trust you, but we are dealing with the USA, which has taken actions against Iran. We do not trust the USA.
We are concerned that the US may use this project (TRIPP) within the framework of its security policy. We have conveyed it to our Armenian colleagues. The latter assured that Armenia will never become a source of threat for Iran." As for other details of the document, its Armenian text is posted on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and anyone can open it, read it, and get an idea, without any extra prompts.
It should be noted only that, according to the document, "Armenia intends to offer the USA a 74% share of the TRIPP Development Company and keep a 26% share." It is expected that this cooperation will be extended for another 50 years, with the provision of additional ownership to the Government of Armenia, increasing its share to 49%.
But two or three other important circumstances are interesting in all this. First. Pashinyan's government negotiated and accepted this initiative, which calls regional security into question and creates new threats, with an excellent "business" approach, more simply, with the logic of pulling out some knots.
And regarding this document, Pashinyan's statement yesterday that large investments will flow in, almost an investment flood, is the most striking proof of what was said. The percentage "distribution" is also in this logic. The Minister of Foreign Affairs says: "Well, by and large, it is the result of negotiations, it reflects the countries' investments. It is no secret that the USA will make large investments. On its part, the main thing that Armenia will invest is the right to development. I think it is a fairly fair distribution, and we are talking about the next 49 years."
In other words, the territory of Armenia that is "leased" to another country for 49 (99) years has no actual value, the calculation is made only by investments. And right here we approach one more of the main points. The planned working procedure of "Trump's path" is outlined in such a way that, according to it, Turks and Azerbaijanis, as it is said, freely roaming through the territory of our country, with the support of some obscure American company, will come and go from the Azerbaijani territory to Nakhichevan, from Nakhichevan to the Azerbaijani territory.
By and large, it is what Azerbaijani and Turkish officials refer to as the "Zangezur Corridor". Now, whatever name and packaging Pashinyan and the US "peace-loving" regime give to all that, it is "Zangezur Corridor", and if we call things by their full name, then it is "Turanian Corridor". Another remarkable moment. the terms "sovereign" and "sovereignty" are used exactly 15 times in the mentioned document.
But what is planned to be implemented, in practice, not only has nothing to do with sovereignty, but is a specific, geographically determined loss of sovereignty and independence. And how else to call it when a state (Armenia) hands over a huge part of its territory, a part of strategic importance, to the exploitation and control of another state (formally, the USA)?
If you want 15, if you want, write "sovereign" 115 times, it is very clear that it is imperialist coercion and occupation, which may be very much in line with the interests of the USA, Turkey, Azerbaijan and almost not in the interests of Armenia.
And in order to understand it more clearly, just imagine for 1 second what would happen if a similar agreement was signed with, say, Russia. Yes, but close the headphones, just imagine, because the voice of the sinner would be drowned out.
ARMEN HAKOBYAN
