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Deputy speaker says Russia impeding Armenia's independent foreign policy
Noyan Tapan news agency
8 Dec 04
Yerevan, 8 December: The recent meeting of the Armenian-Russian
commission on interparliamentary cooperation held in Moscow discussed,
among other issues, the possible deployment of an Armenian military
contingent in Iraq. The deputy speaker of the Armenian National
Assembly and co-chairman of the Armenian-Russian interparliamentary
commission, Vaan Ovanesyan, said that the Russian side voiced its
concern over such a prospect.
The Armenian delegation, in turn, asked whether the fact that Russia
has written off Iraq's multi-billion debt to Russia meant economic
support for the government of this country installed by the "occupier",
the United States. Vaan Ovanesyan stressed that at the same time,
Russia has not cancelled Armenia's much smaller debt.
"We told our Russian counterparts that their conduct in the
international arena does not encourage free and independent
decision-making on the part of Armenia," he said.
The deputy speaker said the Russian side had displayed certain
"jealousy" over Armenia's relations with NATO.
"We made it clear to our counterparts that this is one of the
directions in our independent foreign policy and we have no intention
of backing down on it," he said. At the same time, the head of the
delegation noted that an agreement had been reached with the Russian
side to conduct preliminary interparliamentary consultations on
NATO-related issues.
Noyan Tapan news agency
8 Dec 04
Yerevan, 8 December: The recent meeting of the Armenian-Russian
commission on interparliamentary cooperation held in Moscow discussed,
among other issues, the possible deployment of an Armenian military
contingent in Iraq. The deputy speaker of the Armenian National
Assembly and co-chairman of the Armenian-Russian interparliamentary
commission, Vaan Ovanesyan, said that the Russian side voiced its
concern over such a prospect.
The Armenian delegation, in turn, asked whether the fact that Russia
has written off Iraq's multi-billion debt to Russia meant economic
support for the government of this country installed by the "occupier",
the United States. Vaan Ovanesyan stressed that at the same time,
Russia has not cancelled Armenia's much smaller debt.
"We told our Russian counterparts that their conduct in the
international arena does not encourage free and independent
decision-making on the part of Armenia," he said.
The deputy speaker said the Russian side had displayed certain
"jealousy" over Armenia's relations with NATO.
"We made it clear to our counterparts that this is one of the
directions in our independent foreign policy and we have no intention
of backing down on it," he said. At the same time, the head of the
delegation noted that an agreement had been reached with the Russian
side to conduct preliminary interparliamentary consultations on
NATO-related issues.