Although the 25th anniversary of Armenia’s independence should be a time for joy, but many Armenians will be thinking about the opportunities lost.

According to Report, that was stated in an article by the Armenian author Armine Sahakyan in influential American news site «Huffington Post», dedicated to the plight of Armenia on the eve of the 25th anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union.

The article states that the country is approaching the anniversary date in the status of one of the poorest countries in the former USSR, where corruption is rampant, and there’s a huge gap between the rich and poor. According to the author, today Armenia is thinking about its own survival.

The publication, comparing the present Armenia with the Soviet one, writes that before Armenian students could enter influential universities of the USSR, but today one has to pay a bribe for admission to elite universities of the country: “Money also talks in health care. If you need an operation or extensive treatment, you’d better have bribe money. Otherwise, you may not last long”.

The author also notes that the reason for such a situation in the country is the fact that Armenia is independent in name only, and in reality, “it is still a Russian colony”.

A.Sahakyan reminds that in 2013 the country had a chance to break free of dependence on Russia by signing an association agreement with EU, but Vladimir Putin summoned Serzh Sargsyan for talks: “No one except the negotiating parties knows exactly what was said. But it was obvious that Putin gave Sargsyan an ultimatum. Shortly after the discussion ended, Sargsyan announced that Armenia would be joining the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Community. The last thing Putin wants is pro-Western political movement in Armenia”.

At the end of the article the author writes that she will take no joy in marking Armenia’s 25th year of independence because her country is not yet independent.

Source: Minval.az