Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty recently reported about the excitement in Armenia over the prospect of Turkish border re-opening among the locals. However, Armenian diaspora lobbying organisation in the United States, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), which has strong ties to the ARF accuse Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with treason amid his efforts to bring some sort of normality with Yerevan's neighbours.
Founded in 1890, the ARF's first victims were Turkish-Armenians who were opposing their political course.
Today, having huge influence especially in diaspora communities across the world through proxy affiliates like ANCA, the ARF turned against popularly elected Prime Minister Pashinyan who has been negotiating a sustainable settlement of peace with Baku and Ankara.
Recently, ARF led protests in Yerevan against the government’s moves toward normalisation, mostly backed by diaspora members and organisations.
Meanwhile, Vacho Smbatian who lives by the Turkish border continues to renovate his house. which he thinks of turning it into a hotel in the hope that border opening after three decades will cause an influx of tourists across the other side of the barbed wires.
Armenian is one of the most underdeveloped and isolated countries in the region, thanks to its hostile ultra-nationalist policies towards its neighbours over the decade, often drawn by ARF extremists, mostly living in overseas.
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