Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem will try to use opportunities offered by Belt and Road Initiative against Armenia – expert opinion
As part of his visit to Tehran on March 27, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi signed a 25-year Strategic Cooperation Agreement with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad-Javād Zarīf, after five years of negotiations between his country and the Islamic Republic. For comments on the possible impact of the Chinese-Iranian relations on Armenia, Tert.am has interviewed Mher Sahakyan, a political scientist affiliated with the China-Eurasia Council for Political and Strategic Research, the International Institute for Peace (Austria) and the British Association for Chinese Studies.
Mr. Sahakyan, a 25-year strategic agreement has been signed, potentially promising landmark developments to our region, as different estimates suggest. What do you think is the estimateed significance for the parties? What problems is each party virtually solving for itself?
We are eye witnessing a change in the world order, which sees Russia and China create the Eastern pole. Iran, in its turn, eventually losing hope for any normalization with the West, is clearly taking sides with the Eastern pole by signing the Comprehensive Partnership Agreement. This agreement potentially allows for developing the Chinese-Iranian strategic cooperation. Under conditions of the anti-Iranian sanctions at least, it will be hard to secure new investments in Iran. China, for its part, is securing the use of railway and highway communications passing through Iran’s territory - as part of its own Belt and initiaitve. Taking China under its sponsorship in the Middle East, Iran is trying to balance the ratio of powers between the main actors, preventing the United States from eventually undermining Iran. With this agreement, China and Russia unite their efforts to act jointly in the cyber-security sphere, and it too, is likely to bring about certain changes in the architecture of international security.
The Chinese interests in our region have been very widely discussed. It struck its roots particularly in Iran, with the latest document seemingly promising to resolve several problems - dealing especially with the implementation of economic projects. The development and launch of communications is now, especially under the spotlight. Simultaneously we see other countries’ engagement in similar large-scale projects, i.e.- development of railways and natural gas pipelines, etc. All this seems to be overpassing Armenia. To what extent do you think the programs subject to implementation under the Iran-China document may bear any relationship to us?
I find the solution to the political, cultural, cyber-security and technical-military components absolutely likely at the current stage. The economic part is not easily feasible due to the sanctions imposed by the US. It has impacted also bilateral trade which, in 2020, plummeted to [$]14 billion instead of the $23 billion in 2019. The sides are presently considering at least also plans for launching a separate money transfer system to overpass the US-controlled SWIFT and the financial sanctions. Hence it is difficult in the current state of affairs to speak about an Armenia-China-Iran trilateral economic activity that would stem from the Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement between China and Iran. Armenia has higher chances for developing relations with the sides through bilateral negotiations, as well as the multilateral use of the EAEU-Iran and China-EAEU formats.
The current Armenian authorities have permanently emphasized - on the level of rhetoric at least – the development of relations with China, hinting the likelihood of Armenia’s engagement in the Belt and Road Initiative. Is any outcome of translating words into action visible as of today?
No outcome at all, but the appointment of a new Chinese ambassador in Yerevan offers at least an opportunity for an upgrade.
China, knowingly, is seeking to increase its influence in different regions. If we imagine, for a moment, that there such an interest in Armenia too, what advantages would that offer to us? Are we expected to benefit from that or are we likely to lose more?
China treats Armenia and Azerbaijan as a zone of Russian interest, permanently making specifications with Moscow in most of the cases. As a matter of fact, Armenia should be the first to pursue a clear-cut strategy for developing its relations with China. But that doesn’t exist. This vision should be developed, first of all, with the understanding that China is a superpower; its factor is expected to grow increasingly in international affairs. So it is important to make also Yerevan’s voice heard in Beijing. Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey are developing their relations with Beijing, strengthening the role of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. There is a real threat that the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem will try to use the opportunities offered by the Belt and Road Initiative against Armenia. Hence it is necessary for Armenia to redefine its own relations with Beijing, create a strategic roadmap and use the expertise and connections of skilled human resources to exit this swamp in the Armenia-China relations.
Videos

Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director

Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide

Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News

Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank

'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide

Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24

Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors

Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan

Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh

UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'

NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations

Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video

Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies

Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone

Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan

Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment

Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan

Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital

President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace

Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware

Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures

President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels

Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling

Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy

Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements

Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles

Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage

Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column

Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh

Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)

Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes

War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda

Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks

Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression

Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes

Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions

ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline

There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR

EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
-
15:20 • 24.05.21 Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
-
11:39 • 24.04.21 Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
-
09:40 • 23.04.21 Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
-
15:34 • 22.04.21 Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
-
14:09 • 21.04.21 'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
-
12:37 • 03.04.21 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
-
17:33 • 11.03.21 Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
-
17:57 • 26.01.21 Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
-
13:33 • 22.01.21 Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
-
09:42 • 29.12.20 UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
-
18:41 • 24.12.20 NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
-
13:33 • 31.10.20 Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
-
16:37 • 30.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
-
11:25 • 28.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
-
13:45 • 24.10.20 Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
-
11:51 • 24.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
-
11:40 • 24.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
-
10:39 • 24.10.20 Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
-
12:41 • 23.10.20 President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
-
12:16 • 23.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
-
12:02 • 22.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
-
10:35 • 22.10.20 President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
-
10:51 • 17.10.20 Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
-
15:09 • 15.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
-
13:13 • 13.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
-
12:56 • 12.10.20 Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
-
12:23 • 12.10.20 Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
-
17:23 • 09.10.20 Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
-
15:53 • 09.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
-
14:11 • 09.10.20 Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
-
15:52 • 08.10.20 Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
-
10:57 • 08.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
-
14:24 • 07.10.20 War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
-
19:31 • 05.10.20 Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
-
16:17 • 04.10.20 Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
-
12:39 • 04.10.20 Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
-
13:49 • 03.10.20 Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
-
10:12 • 29.09.20 ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
-
23:42 • 28.09.20 There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
-
18:45 • 28.09.20 EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
Most popular articles Today Yesterday For a week
-
Event 16:59 • 07/12 Ucom and World Vision Armenia stand by the large families with many children forcibly displaced from Artsakh Within the framework of the cooperation memorandum signed between Ucom and the World Vision Armenia NGO, in three regions of Armenia—Syunik, Gegharkunik, and Tavush —families forcibly displaced from Artsakh were provided with warm clothes,
-
Event 16:59 • 07/12 Ucom and World Vision Armenia stand by the large families with many children forcibly displaced from Artsakh Within the framework of the cooperation memorandum signed between Ucom and the World Vision Armenia NGO, in three regions of Armenia—Syunik, Gegharkunik, and Tavush —families forcibly displaced from Artsakh were provided with warm clothes,
-
Science/tech 17:39 • 02/12 Director General of Ucom Ralph Yirikian spoke at the "Science and Business Days 2023" conference During the conference, many innovative ideas were discussed, focusing on the challenges facing humanity, as well as the success stories of Armenian businesses and the mutual connection between business and science.
Event
-
18:47 • 06.12.23 Ucom Offers a New Year's Deal on Samsung Galaxy A54 Smartphones
Science/tech
-
16:09 • 03.04.23 TOON EXPO 2023 exhibition was held with Ucom’s technical support
-
15:20 • 15.02.23 What is science fiction and how is it inspiring human discoveries
Sports
-
12:05 • 26.07.21 Teenage Japanese skateboarder named youngest champion ever
-
12:13 • 23.07.21 Olympics 2020: 12-year-old becomes Tokyo’s youngest champion