GENERAL OVERVIEW

Agasi ENOKIAN

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Aghasi Enokian, Associate professor, Department of International Relations and Diplomacy, Erevan State University (Erevan, Armenia)

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The year 2006 can be described as a year of stagnation and increasingly unbalanced presidential power—the trends that came to the fore after the 2003 grossly falsified elections. In 2006, the nation lost all interest in the political developments in its own country, which became absolute after the referendum on the Constitution, which was imposed on the people late in November 2005 contrary to the commonly shared sentiments and in disregard of the opposition.

The Karabakh issue remained as prominent as ever in Armenia’s foreign policy; domestic policy unfolded under the pressure of the 2007 parliamentary elections, while the continued decline of the dollar exchange rate caused a lot of pessimism in the economic sphere.

The year 2006, which was free from elections both in Armenia and in Azerbaijan, was expected to be a period of minimum tension at home and with minimum demands for populism, which suggested that progress on the Karabakh issue could be expected. The international mediators, the leaders of the countries involved in the settlement, and the sides in the conflict were optimistic about the prospects. The foreign ministers met several times to discuss the issue, numerous documents were drawn up, and the leaders of the countries involved talked to each other, but no breakthrough followed. The disappointment that naturally followed caused the sides to make belligerent statements, while the…………….

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