The President of the Republic of Greece, Vahagn Khachaturian, is making an official visit to Greece these days, responding to the invitation of the President of the Republic, with whom he met yesterday.
“The aim of such visits is to highlight once again the importance that one country has for the other,” he tells Vima. His program in Athens included, among other things, a meeting with representatives of the Armenian community in Greece, a discussion with the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as participation in an event of the Delphi Economic Forum.
Mr. Khachaturian, ten years after the last visit of an Armenian president to Greece, talks to Vima about the perspectives of Greece-Armenia cooperation, his country’s European path and Russian influence, the peace process with Azerbaijan as well as Armenia’s relations with Turkey.
Armenia has started steps towards closer cooperation with the EU. How realistic do you consider the prospect of a European future for your country?
Last year the Republic of Armenia passed a law in Parliament, which I signed, and its title is as follows: Initiation of the process of accession to the European Union. This is not a wish of the current government, but an expression of the will of the majority of citizens. And it is very important for the current and future governments not to spoil the efforts that bring us closer to the EU.
When this will happen, how long it will take, no one knows. But the desire is absolute. We now work very closely with the EU agencies. We have commitments and obligations to fulfill. And depending on that, we’ll see how ready we are and when. But by nature, we carry the values of the West. Therefore, we see our future within the EU. And I must repeat that this is not just a wish of the state authorities or some individuals – it is part of the logic of the evolution of our civilization.
Do pro-Russian political forces remain strong in Armenia?
You know, we were in the Soviet Union as a country for many decades. And in that time generations were formed, including my own. So giving up all of that at once is very difficult. Especially since, after independence, since the 90s, Armenia has had very close, friendly relations with Russia. We have been members of various organizations together with Russia and other post-Soviet states. The two countries shared traditions for years and of course, we have compatriots living in Russia. And this is of particular importance.
However, today the situation has somewhat changed. In cases where we expected to receive support from Russia, we did not receive it. As a state, as a government, we came to the conclusion that the expectations that existed, especially from Russia, were unfortunately not verified. So we decided to find a way to guarantee our safety and complete independence.
But this does not mean a conflict with Russia – we continue our economic relations, while there is also a wide scope for political consultations. But all this is done with certain caveats. For example, in the field of economy, we seek to deepen our cooperation with the EU. It will indeed change the environment for us, we will turn more towards the West. However, this does not mean a break in relations with Russia.
At what stage are the peace negotiations with Azerbaijan and what are the main obstacles to achieving a lasting peace agreement?
What happened last summer, on August 8, for many was incredible and unexpected. And for that, of course, we owe our gratitude to US President Trump, who took the initiative to convene the meeting and also witnessed the process of signing the peace document. It is a responsibility and commitment for the parties who signed it. And now, we can see the results.
Already, Armenia receives, through the territory of Azerbaijan, cargoes and consumables from Russia and Kazakhstan. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, this road was closed. Already we can discern visible opportunities to satisfy the wishes and expectations of the business world. Because the authorities, from both sides, had the political will to move towards peace.
Therefore we must say that the signing of the peace documents was a very important event and we are ready to continue this process until the signing of a final peace agreement. I can’t give a timeline for when that will happen, but I can assure you that we are working in that direction.
In addition, we wish to implement a joint project called TRIPP, Trump’s Route for International Peace and Prosperity, which aims to build a 42 km railway line in Armenia, which will connect Azerbaijan with the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhchivan through the territory of Armenia. The project can then be extended further, with rail and road connections, as well as other means of transport, to reach Turkey and Europe.
Have there been tangible developments towards the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey?
We are on our way. If we compare the situation years ago with today, things are different. Last year, for the first time, the Armenian Prime Minister made a working visit to Turkey. However, the most important thing is that, both on our side and on the side of Turkey, there is the vision and the pursuit of normalization of relations, which means opening the borders, establishing diplomatic relations and developing trade and economic relations.
Today it is this: as of this year, holders of diplomatic and special passports can visit Turkey via e-visa. Second, usually the road transport of goods between Turkey and Armenia took place via a third country – the majority via Georgia, while many via Greece, Bulgaria and other countries. Now, since this year, there is a direct connection, that is, one can transport goods from Turkey directly to Armenia and vice versa.
There is also an agreement to restore the historic bridge of Ani which is of great historical importance to us. These works are carried out from both sides. I do not want to rush into talking about the possible opening of the borders and then the restoration of the rail connection, but we are working in that direction. I mentioned what we have already achieved.
What does Yerevan expect from its relationship with Athens?
As far as cooperation between Yerevan and Athens is concerned, there are huge possibilities. Unfortunately, however, these potentials have not yet been fully exploited – our trade volume is around EUR 50 million. However, we must also take into account the friendly relations between our peoples. Also, the similarities of the environment in the two countries. My assessment is that we should have a greater volume of economic relations.
There has been some distancing of the EU, and by extension Greece, from Armenia. For example, in terms of military cooperation. Until 2022, when I was still a minister, we were trying to implement some projects with Greece, but they were categorically rejected, for various reasons.
But now I think that some obstacles have been eliminated. Today, we signed a memorandum of cooperation between the two countries in the field of digital technology. In addition, I met with the Greek business community in order to present the current situation in Armenia. Many do not imagine how many new opportunities there will be. It is our desire that many European companies participate in the implementation of the upcoming projects, especially in the context of TRIPP.
I should of course note that what is of enormous importance, regardless of the respective governments, are the historical friendly relations between Greece and Armenia. Armenians love to visit Greece, everything is great here. We would also like Greeks to visit Armenia.
