THE WAYS OF RESTORATION OF ARMENIA’S DEFICIENT SOVEREIGNTY WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CHANGING INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ORDER

Abstract

This article is devoted to the examination of the legal and political foundations of the sovereignty of the Third Republic of Armenia and the revelation of the deficiencies thereof in the light of the current deep geopolitical transformation. Particularly, the former foreign policy model of Armenia is defined, and the details and consequences thereof are elucidated, i.e. Armenia pursued a client-state model of foreign policy, which implies a one-sided political stance and the vertical relationship between the patron state and client state, including a patron state’s domination in the internal policy dimensions of the client state, such as economy, internal politics, etc. It is substantiated, that as a result of the aforementioned foreign policy model Armenia lacked appropriate means of maneuver when the interests of the patron state started to contradict Armenia’s national interests. Therefore, the Armenian side lost the 44-day war and is subjected to continuous aggression from Azerbaijan.
The article contains certain proposals, that may positively affect the restoration of Armenia’s sovereignty and the revision of Armenia’s foreign policy model. In particular, Armenia should exit the CSTO, denounce all the military and security cooperation agreements, signed with Russia and within the CSTO, adopt the policy of non-alignment, shake off the economic dominance of Russia by designing special economic policy, directed to attracting non-EAEU investors, and creating prerequisites for further exit from the EAEU, as well as regain relatively stable control over the management of strategic public assets. Also, it is necessary to draw the line between the autocratic and corrupted systems of state government, which internally undermined Armenia’s sovereignty and contributed to the complete failure of its foreign policy. To this end, the proclamation of the Fourth Republic from the author’s point of view is deemed indispensable. As a result, the Armenian people, as a sovereign, will be given an opportunity to build a state from a “clean slate”, eradicating all the institutional and political vices of the past.