Areshev: what is happening in Armenia has signs of a coup

Demonstrations of disagreement in Armenia, and provoked by the government's decision to increase electricity tariffs, are not the signs of a coup, however, will continue as long as long as local authorities will not try to reach a compromise with the residents, said Last news specialist at the Center for the study of Central Asia And Caucasus Institute of Oriental studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Areshev.

last Friday at Freedom square in Yerevan started the protest in the evening on the First day of the week turned into a March to the office of the President. Early Tuesday morning, law-enforcement officers with the use of special equipment dispersed the protesters who protested against the price hike of electricity, And blocked the Central Avenue of Marshal Bagramyan. Nearly 240 people, And reporters, were brought to the servants of police stations, 25 people applied for medical aid.



"I don't think that Armenia currently being any attempted coup or violent regime change, although the desire to apply objective socio-economic discontent in different political purposes - familiar handwriting external players not only in Armenia but also in many other countries of the former Soviet Union And Eastern Europe," Areshev said.

According to the expert, current events in the Republic are characterized by 2 main characteristics. 1st - a set of specific socio-economic issues in Armenia are quite acute, And which have been accumulated over a long period of time.

Second, a significant number of young people And the role of informal youth groups about which we know quite a bit. This situation has largely arisen due to the policy of the current government, which is "marginalizing" such parties as the "prosperous Armenia" And " Armenian national Congress ". These parties were the major organizers of the rallies, which were attended by tens of thousands of people.

"now for those young people who play a significant role in the current protests, we can predict very different relations. It seems to me that the situation, taking Into account all its complexity, must be resolved peacefully, And what was yesterday's message Dmitry Peskov, press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation - ed.). The persistence of the socio-economic And political stability for Armenia as a member of the EEU And close to us (Russia - ed.) of the country in the South Caucasus is very important. And I think that's the direction we need to take actions that the Armenian authorities ", - noted the expert.

the head of the Department showed that to resolve the current conflict, most importantly, one must remove the root cause, formal occasion, which served as the trigger for the current discontent, namely to decide on the increase of electricity prices.

"maybe here you can find any options, among them associated with a more thorough settlement of this question, and among them at the level of Parliament. I think it is very important to translate this opposition from the streets of Yerevan in a more constructive direction - for example, in the walls of Parliament, where it must decide such matters, " said Areshev.



in General, Areshev believes that currently the Armenian authorities in control of the situation And, despite the fact that in the ranks of the demonstrators have the opportunity to be citizens "in the country there was Always the understanding that the development of the conflict in "Ukrainian" scenario under existing conditions, will lead to extremely negative consequences."

"Always in Armenia


sections: Politics