NATO, EU Aim to Use Armenia as Tool Against Russia, Warns Iranian Expert

Photo: European Newsroom

The North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union plan to use Armenia as a tool against Russia, just like they did with Ukraine and Georgia, thereby ruining the good-neighborly relations between Yerevan and Moscow, Iranian political scientist, Professor Mehdi Seif Tabrizi, has told TASS, The Caspian Post reports.

"Georgia and Ukraine are vivid examples of the European Union and NATO’s arrogant and selfish behavior towards the states located near Russia's borders," said Seif Tabrizi, an expert on the South Caucasus. "Brussels' approach to relations with Tbilisi over the past 30 years shows that Yerevan, even if it complies with all legal and illegal demands set forth by the European leadership, will have no chance of ever joining the EU. From the very beginning, Brussels never intended to bring Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine into the association, instead wanting to alienate them from Moscow and use them for military purposes against Russia."

"Ukraine is a perfect example of the approach Europe takes toward independent countries," the Iranian political analyst stated. He noted that alongside attempts to upset Yerevan’s relations with Russia, "the EU and NATO interfere in Armenia's affairs with the aim of controlling Iran's northwestern borders."

"The political changes that are taking place under pressure from the EU and the US in the newly independent countries and their involvement in the protracted and sometimes hopeless process of integration into Euro-Atlantic structures will only be used as a tool for provocations against Russia. In Armenia, one of their aims is certainly to harm Tehran’s national security, as the border with Armenia is of great economic and geopolitical importance to Iran," the analyst explained. He stated that Tehran remained an important ally of Yerevan, ready to help ensure Armenia's security.

He believes that a "rapprochement with Moscow is another way for Yerevan to ensure security and retain territorial integrity, because Russia, in all of its doctrinal documents, opposes any border changes in the South Caucasus."

"In the meantime, Armenia's ostensible friends in the West have no obligations to the country and pursue their own interests," Seif Tabrizi concluded.

On September 18, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the authorities would not miss the chance to join the European Union when a "more or less realistic opportunity" presents itself. On October 6, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of participation in NATO's Partnership for Peace program that Armenia was looking forward to a stronger partnership with the military alliance.