Kazakh leader waves Sargsyan aside
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
Kazakh leader will meet with his Russian and Belarusian counterparts in Astana to discuss several issues of mutual cooperation. Only three out of the four Eurasian Economic Union members will sit around the same table in Kazakhstan. Armenia, the trade bloc's smallest country and latest country to have joined in will not attend the meeting.
Kazakh President, Nursultan Nazarbayev's official website announced that Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will be represented in person in Astana on March 13 through an official invitation by the Kazakh leader.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is reportedly not among Nazarbayev's top level guests. This shun was described by Armenian media as " a real shame". Whether or not Sargsyan was actually invited but refused to attend has yet to be confirmed. But as it stands, Armenia's president will miss the high-level talks in Astana. Needless to say that the missed opportunity has casted a shadow over Yerevan, raising great many questions as to Armenia's diplomatic future within the region.
Nazarbayev's initiative to hold top level negotiations came in the wake of an aggravated regional economic downturn in three countries - Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus - due to drop in oil prices and Western sanctions on Russia.
Sources have concerned that all parties are interested in discussing economic cooperation in view of overcoming present difficulties.
As a fourth passenger on a "leaky boat", Armenia has been ignored, left to fend for itself as other partners have been keen to rally around each other to face the regional economic crisis. It looks as if the three musketeers of the EEU have just "forgotten" to invite Armenia.
There have been several explanations given as to why Sargsyan was not invited to attend talks in Astana.
As the deadline for nomination of presidential candidates in Kazakhstan ends on March 15, some experts have theorized that Nazarbayev is looking to either bid farewell to his Slavic counterparts or seek political support for his nomination. Under such scenario, Armenia's role could appear of less significance and thus not require Sargsyan's presence.
Armenia's hesitation to define a sole foreign policy direction may well have affected Nazarbayev's decision to opt Armenia out of the talks. Unable to heal its economy, Armenia has been looking elsewhere for partners, particularly in Europe. For instance, amid a drop by almost 99.9 percent in exports to Russia, Armenia increased its exports by 40-60 percent to the European countries.
Recently strained relations between Putin and Sargsyan may also have acted as a decisive factor conditioning the latter's absence in Astana meeting. The massacre of an Armenian family by the hand of a Russian soldier and Moscow's subsequent refusal to hand over the culprit soured Moscow-Yerevan relations greatly. It could well be Russian President Putin simpliy does not wish to sit at the table next to Sargsyan.
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