The Russians are in Armenia. In the lexicon of the Armenian elite, the Russians are our "back-up". You need such "back-up" to get ahead in business, to become a member of parliament or even find any type of work. And since their "boss" says that today our "back-up" are the Russians; that’s what they repeat. If tomorrow, their boss would come out and say that our "back-up" are the Americans; that’s what they would parrot.

Do you remember during the time of the Armenian-Turkish protocols how the representatives of the ruling regime tried to convince people as to the necessity of signing the protocols?

Today, you hear those same individuals cursing the Turks. It seemed to me, a naive person, that there would be waves of protests against the extension of the contract of the Russian military base. But there were no protests, not a voice raised in opposition.

Everyone silently agreed to the move. It was a farce. The extension was accepted by a party whose founder, Ashot Navasardyan, spent 12 years in a Soviet prison. He had dreamt of an independent Armenia and fought for it.

Today, in Yerevan, the agreement to extend the contract of the Russian base has been signed. Why all the jubilation from the Armenian authorities? Why such fawning and debasement? I have always been scared when the Russians start to become active in the region. They have extended the contract to 49 years. 99 years would have been a better number. Usually, land leases are for 99 years. Essentially, Russia has finally occupied Armenia.

Armenia has voluntarily signed off on its capitulation. I never see any danger on the horizon when Aliyev brags and boasts or when Turkey’s president or prime minister issue veiled threats against Armenia. But when the Russians offer explanations, with a smile on their faces, about, say, the C-300 anti missile systems, then I really start to get scared. Russia has never been our strategic partner; never.

You will not find a chapter in history where such has been the case; where a partnership was manifest. In Karabakh, all the successes of the Armenians started when the Russians left.

The Azerbaijanis were able to capture the Shahumyan and Getashen areas only with the assistance of the Russian army. I have no clue what the Russians are up to in the region, but one thing is clear.

They will not be able to "break" Aliyev junior; all of Russia’s efforts to date to extract something from Azerbaijan have failed. I am speaking here of obtaining economic leverage. In Armenia, most everything has been handed over to the Russians for quite some time. Next in line is the atomic power station. Political players and the ruling regime’s media, speak about the "uniqueness" of the newly signed agreement. In reality, it is an agreement that has nothing to do with any type of partnership.

By signing off on the agreement, we have merely certified that we are a people who have accepted slavery.

Edik Baghdasaryan is the Chief Editor of Hetq