Russia – Learning from Armenia
... could become more than simply an additional risk, but a positive factor (providing effective feedback from society; a reservoir for power rotation that improves governance; and an instrument to defuse social tensions). For Russia, destabilization in Armenia is fraught with upsetting the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh, and attempts to minimize the Russian influence in Transcaucasia as a whole. Therefore, Moscow too should draw lessons from the current protests. Russia should expand cooperation with Armenia inside the country. At present, it is confined to the executive branch. It is exceedingly important to build up contacts between Russian and Armenian lawmakers, as well as influential centres of ...