In fact, Azerbaijan simply has a clear and consistent political position, which is communicated to the vast Russian socio-political environment by all possible ways and means. Suffice it to say that such influential politicians as Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister and Chief Curator of the Russian military-industrial complex, and Leonid Slutsky, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the State Duma, lobby for the interests of Baku in Russia.
The Role of the Armenian Community
For a long time, Armenia has sent people to Russia who could not promote the country's national interests effectively. Representatives of Armenian diplomatic missions have always been several times weaker than the ones of Azerbaijan. In turn, the Armenian Diaspora in Russia could not play the role of a lobbyist for the interests of official Yerevan. Incidentally, the criticism of Russian policies was automatically transferred to the two million-strong Armenian community. Many experts in Armenia condemned Diaspora organizations because they could not influence the policy of Russia. However, such accusations are groundless. The fact is that the specifics of the Russian Federation does not allow any particular ethnic community to influence the process of making important political decisions. And this applies not only to Armenians but other ethnic groups as well. For instance, representatives of the Jewish Diaspora are among the richest people in Russia. However, this fact does not help the local Diaspora to block Moscow's actions that harm the interests of Israel. Moreover, one should not forget a crucial detail - Diaspora organizations in Russia, the United States or France are made up of citizens of these countries and will be used as an instrument of influence of Moscow, Washington or Paris on the country of origin. Similarly, the money of Moscow philanthropists Samvel Karapetyan or Ruben Vardanyan is a Russian financial and political factor, not an Armenian one. In other words, we should not overestimate the role of the Armenian communities in the process of lobbying the state interests of Armenia in different parts of the world.
How Does Azerbaijan Work Then?
Many experts mistakenly believe that the Azerbaijani Diaspora plays a serious role in the process of establishing the dialogue between Moscow and Baku. In fact, certain success of Azerbaijan can be explained by a state approach. The Russian politician thinks in state categories and will not discuss the issue of blocking arms supplies to Azerbaijan with a citizen whose country of origin or ethnicity is Armenian, regardless of the wealth and influence of that citizen. Azerbaijan creates and finances non-governmental organizations throughout Russia that are run by Azerbaijani citizens. Meantime, representatives of the ethnic group act just like a political bonus. Any country that strives to achieve success in public lobbying should make its citizens the heads of such organizations, minimizing the risks from possible problems of double loyalty.
To break the situation in our favor, it is necessary to take some significant steps. The first is to move from business orientation to state policy. Besides that, it is necessary to strengthen diplomatic missions with highly professional staff who can comprehend and analyze the processes that occur in Armenian-Russian relations. The second is to abandon the overestimated expectations regarding Armenian Diaspora structures. It is important to take the first steps towards the formation of non-governmental organizations and foundations, which will be financed from Yerevan and will lobby the state's national interests in Russia. The third is to use our membership in CSTO, the Customs Union, and the EAEC to promote our pragmatic national interests (as Kazakhstan and Belarus do). In general, Armenia has ideal starting positions for active lobbying of its interests in Russia.
