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Populism is magic word of Pashinyan's initiatives: Strategic Outlook expert

4 June 2018 18:08 (UTC+04:00)
Populism is magic word of Pashinyan's initiatives: Strategic Outlook expert

By Trend

The new Armenian government will surely follow the way of Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan even though their real desire is to make Armenia a pro-Western country, Caucasus Expert of Strategic Outlook Institution Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu told Trend.

He noted that newly appointed figures are mostly young and pro-Western names and in a short period, it is a smart step for Armenia, but there is no hope for a long-term change for the foreign policy direction.

“Actually, neither Pashinyan nor his close environment knew what type of foreign policy should be followed from the first day of their protests. As against to Sargsyan, they could easily show their anti-Russian position, but they saw the reality after coming to power,” Oztarsu said.

He said Pashinyan and his team understood that the foreign policy direction of Armenia cannot be changed easily due to its geopolitical dilemma. "So, they directly signaled that Russia is an indispensable partner of Armenia and there wouldn't be any change in the relations."

Oztarsu added that populism is generally the magic word of Pashinyan's initiatives.

“This is not a new tool for the Armenian politicians. From the beginning of independence, populism rose around nationalist rhetoric, territorial claims and historical enmity with neighbors. Pashinyan is aware of this tool and using this properly. Visiting Karabakh and talking about Nakhchivan are obvious indicators of Pashinyan's term,” the expert said.

According to Oztarsu, Pashinyan knows that he must use the nationalism tool to get domestic support to remain in power.

“Yes, there is no solution offered for the country's foreign policy problems but this became a natural way of policy-making process in Armenia. Additionally, his son will join to army service in Karabakh. This is also a good advertisement for a sustainable populism,” he concluded.

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