By Edmond Y. Azadian
Armenians feel a natural affinity with Europe. They feel that culturally and through history, Armenia has a virtual place in Europe. But that feeling — more often than not — is shaken by realpolitik, as European countries pursue their perceived political interests, ignoring Armenia.
By the same token, many Armenians take for granted that Georgia, being the only Christian nation in the South Caucasus, must be Armenia’s natural ally. But recent history has demonstrated time and again that Tbilisi coordinates its policies and economic interests with its Muslim neighbors Ankara and Baku, at Armenia’s expense.
Some recent developments in Europe made Armenia’s political planners painfully aware that often Armenia is a diplomatic orphan at best.
Those developments center on two major issues: the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights, which struck down a Swiss court’s guilty verdict brought against Dogu Perinçek for his denial of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) proposal about Nagorno Karabagh.
Armenia is being snubbed by Europe because of its fragile political stranding and because of its ties with Russia; Moscow seldom compensates Armenia in the arena of world politics for this close alliance.