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SEYRAN OHANYAN: REGIONAL SECURITY AND STABILITY IMPORTANT TO ARMENIA
Karen Ghazaryan
"Radiolur"
14.05.2009 15:12
"Reassessing Security in the South Caucasus: Regional Conflicts,
Stability and Transformation" international conference kicked off in
Yerevan today. It has been organized by the Institute for Strategic
Studies of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia and the Lyon Center
for International Security and Defense Studies.
"Ever since gaining independence, Armenia has assumed the
implementation of reforms in all spheres of life with the aim to shape
a state with a political system fully integrated into the globalizing
world and a competitive economy," Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan
said in his opening speech. He stressed that like any other country,
regional security and cooperation is one of the priorities for Armenia.
"There have been many initiatives recently that are targeted at
ensuring security in the South Caucasus," the Armenian Defense
minister said. He emphasized that the high-level talks between
Armenia and Turkey that started last year at the initiative of the
Armenian President, Serzh Sargsyan, are of great importance from the
perspective of establishment of peace and stability in the region
and creation of an atmosphere of trust.
"Armenia has always stood for the establishment of diplomatic relations
with Turkey without preconditions and remains committed to this20
position," Seyran Ohanyan said.
The Defense Minister stated that the trilateral Maindorf Declaration
signed in 12008 at the initiative of the President of the Russian
Federation proved once again that there was no alternative to the
peaceful settlement of the Karabakh issue. Mr Ohanyan pointed to a
number of other initiatives targeted at the reinforcement of regional
stability, to which Armenia is a participant. One of them was launched
in Prague last week. It is EU's Eastern Partnership Initiative,
which includes the three countries of the South Caucasus. Among
other initiatives, the Defense Minister noted the creation of CSTO
rapid-reaction forces in 2009.
Committed to its position of contributing to the establishment of
security and cooperation in the region and creation of an atmosphere
of trust, Armenia also reacted to Turkey's initiative of establishing
a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform.
According to the Defense Minister, Armenia is ready to discuss any
initiative aimed at the reinforcement of security and stability in
the region both in bilateral and multilateral formats.
Speaking about the mission of the OSCE Minsk Group, the Defense
Minister stressed: "Armenia attaches importance to the mediating
mission of the OSCE Minsk Group and sees no reason for changing the
current format of the process."
However, the Defense Minister of Armenia stated that the region
faces a n umber of challenges and threats. Seyran Ohanyan pointed
to three main threats to Armenia. "The first is the existence of the
Karabakh conflict and the absence of agreed political-legal bases of
settlement between the parties. Secondly, it is the militarized policy
of Azerbaijan, the saspiration to solve the Karabakh conflict with
application of force. The third threat is the blockade of the Republic
of Armenia and the policy of its isolation," Minister Ohanyan stated.
The Defense minister reminded the experts participating in
the conference that although a cease fire agreement was signed
between the Armed Forces of Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh Republic and
Azerbaijan 15 years ago, the Azeri Armed Forces continue violating the
provisions of the cease fire and try to destabilize the situation in
the region. The Defense minister noted also that Armenia has always
stood for resolution of the conflict through mutual concessions, while
the same cannot be said about Azerbaijan. The later periodically makes
militant statements on the highest level, increases the military budget
and conducts a policy of rearmament, exceeding the limits set by the
Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. "All this constitutes
a serious threat to the fragile stability established in the region,"
Minister Ohanyan said.
Karen Ghazaryan
"Radiolur"
14.05.2009 15:12
"Reassessing Security in the South Caucasus: Regional Conflicts,
Stability and Transformation" international conference kicked off in
Yerevan today. It has been organized by the Institute for Strategic
Studies of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia and the Lyon Center
for International Security and Defense Studies.
"Ever since gaining independence, Armenia has assumed the
implementation of reforms in all spheres of life with the aim to shape
a state with a political system fully integrated into the globalizing
world and a competitive economy," Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan
said in his opening speech. He stressed that like any other country,
regional security and cooperation is one of the priorities for Armenia.
"There have been many initiatives recently that are targeted at
ensuring security in the South Caucasus," the Armenian Defense
minister said. He emphasized that the high-level talks between
Armenia and Turkey that started last year at the initiative of the
Armenian President, Serzh Sargsyan, are of great importance from the
perspective of establishment of peace and stability in the region
and creation of an atmosphere of trust.
"Armenia has always stood for the establishment of diplomatic relations
with Turkey without preconditions and remains committed to this20
position," Seyran Ohanyan said.
The Defense Minister stated that the trilateral Maindorf Declaration
signed in 12008 at the initiative of the President of the Russian
Federation proved once again that there was no alternative to the
peaceful settlement of the Karabakh issue. Mr Ohanyan pointed to a
number of other initiatives targeted at the reinforcement of regional
stability, to which Armenia is a participant. One of them was launched
in Prague last week. It is EU's Eastern Partnership Initiative,
which includes the three countries of the South Caucasus. Among
other initiatives, the Defense Minister noted the creation of CSTO
rapid-reaction forces in 2009.
Committed to its position of contributing to the establishment of
security and cooperation in the region and creation of an atmosphere
of trust, Armenia also reacted to Turkey's initiative of establishing
a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform.
According to the Defense Minister, Armenia is ready to discuss any
initiative aimed at the reinforcement of security and stability in
the region both in bilateral and multilateral formats.
Speaking about the mission of the OSCE Minsk Group, the Defense
Minister stressed: "Armenia attaches importance to the mediating
mission of the OSCE Minsk Group and sees no reason for changing the
current format of the process."
However, the Defense Minister of Armenia stated that the region
faces a n umber of challenges and threats. Seyran Ohanyan pointed
to three main threats to Armenia. "The first is the existence of the
Karabakh conflict and the absence of agreed political-legal bases of
settlement between the parties. Secondly, it is the militarized policy
of Azerbaijan, the saspiration to solve the Karabakh conflict with
application of force. The third threat is the blockade of the Republic
of Armenia and the policy of its isolation," Minister Ohanyan stated.
The Defense minister reminded the experts participating in
the conference that although a cease fire agreement was signed
between the Armed Forces of Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh Republic and
Azerbaijan 15 years ago, the Azeri Armed Forces continue violating the
provisions of the cease fire and try to destabilize the situation in
the region. The Defense minister noted also that Armenia has always
stood for resolution of the conflict through mutual concessions, while
the same cannot be said about Azerbaijan. The later periodically makes
militant statements on the highest level, increases the military budget
and conducts a policy of rearmament, exceeding the limits set by the
Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. "All this constitutes
a serious threat to the fragile stability established in the region,"
Minister Ohanyan said.