The powerful Armenian Diaspora has built substantial influence over the foreign policy of homeland Armenia during the 20 years of the country’s independence.
Fearing to alienate the Diaspora activists who are important foreign political support and economic aid generator, as well as, investment provider for Armenia, the official Yerevan always refrains from taking any stance contradicting the position of this overseas community. Even though the Diaspora declares itself as an active promoter of Armenian interest worldwide, the policy priorities of Diaspora activists do not always coincide with the interests of homeland Armenia.
Conflict between the Diaspora’s behavior and homeland’s interests is clearly reflected in the political processes around two vital issues for the country: Nagorno Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan and genocide allegation against Turkey. Being more conflict-prone than the homeland, the Diaspora pushes the official Yerevan to demonstrate uncompromised posture towards Azerbaijan and Turkey which seriously handicaps development of Armenia through economic and political isolation of the country.
Clash of interests: Homeland interests versus Diaspora interests
War against Azerbaijan in Nagorno Karabakh and genocide allegations against Turkey caused the deterioration of relation with these two important neighbors of Armenia closing the country’s entire eastern and western border. This aggressive policy cut the county’s important export/import routes; put the heavy burden of unresolved military conflict on Armenia; left it out all regional projects which could foster economic grows in the country consequently creating economically ravaged Armenia with lowest per capita GDP among Caucasus nations and leading the country into the demographic catastrophe. However, as a landlocked country, instead of war and confrontation, Armenia needs good relations with its neighbors, regional cooperation and stability for sustainable development. Therefore Armenia’s national interests demand peace and cooperation with neigbours which can only be achieved by being open to dialogue and abandoning uncompromised position.
However, the Diaspora has its own interests in Nagorno Karabakh conflict and genocide allegation which does not necessarily conform to the interests of Armenian state. The Diaspora uses the issues such as the cause of “liberating lost lands” and the campaign about genocide allegation as the cornerstone elements of identity to keep the Diaspora together and prevent its assimilation within the host countries. Thus, the Diaspora is very reluctant to any compromise in these issues and dedicates itself to upholding these claims with all possible means. Moreover, since the most of the Diaspora activists live in the rich countries such as the US, France and enjoy much higher living conditions than the fellow Armenians living in the homeland, they do not carry the burden of war and confrontation as ordinary Armenians living in Gyumri or Khankendi do.
As they are removed from the realities of war suffering homeland, they are basically engaged in a sort of virtual conflict: they live their conflicts through the internet, email and television without direct physical affliction, risks or accountability. Not suffering from the absence of peace conditions, the Diaspora has less incentive to compromise to achieve a peace and cooperation than the Armenian citizens themselves and it uses everything at its disposal to pressure official Yerevan to avoid compromise as well.
Armenia Diaspora’s as a conflict promoter
Having strong motivation, as well as, leverages to influence the decision making in Armenia the Diaspora always acts as an active promoter of confrontation with Azerbaijan and Turkey and has opposed any effort to achieve peace and cooperation with them. The Diaspora enthusiastically supported Yerevan to launch a full-scale war against Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh in 1991, provided it with financial support and remittances, recruited guerrillas among Armenians living abroad to fight in Karabakh. Since the ceasefire accord of 1994 the Diaspora has been the one of those groups who actively resisted any compromise in the settlement process of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Particularly in 1997-98, through media campaign, the Diaspora played active role in ousting President Levon Ter Petrossian who did not share the Diaspora’s maximalist position on Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.
Armenian Diaspora was also the ardent advocate of bringing genocide and territorial claims against Turkey to the top of the Yerevan’s political agenda and recently, it acted as the most zealous opponent of the rapprochement process between Armenia and Turkey. In a move to advocate the position of Armenia with regard to rapprochement, President Sargsyan toured the world’s largest Armenian communities, visiting Beirut, Paris, New York, Los Angeles in 2009 with sought to sell the protocols as necessary for Armenia’s survival and growth. In many communities, the president got a very chilly welcome and Sargsyan’s visit to Paris, Los Angeles and Beirut even led to public unrest causing large demonstrations against rapprochement process. Such a harsh resistance by the Diaspora was one of the important reasons that seriously hampered the rapprochement process - the process that could bring the confrontation with Turkey to an end and break isolation of Armenia.
Of course the obstacles for the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict and improved Armenian-Turkish relationship are not limited to the hard-line position of Diaspora. However without such a posture demonstrated by the Diaspora it would be easier for Armenia to abandon its aggressive and uncompromised policy towards Azerbaijan and Turkey to achieve peace and cooperation in its neighborhood and facilitate the country’s sustainable development. So, no matter the claims that they are defending national interest of Armenia, in reality, the activity of the “overseas patriots” sets extremely costly and unachievable, at the same time unlawful goals before the state which jeopardizes the future of Armenian statehood through economic and political isolation, and demographic degradation.
Azad Garibov, Consultant at the Center for Strategic Studies.
News.Az
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