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ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT BACKS INCREASED MILITARY DEPLOYMENT IN AFGHANISTAN
BYLINE: Lilit Gevorgyan
Global Insight
May 11, 2011
Today (11 May) the Armenian parliament approved the deployment of
almost three times more troops in Afghanistan as part of the South
Caucasian former Soviet republic's ongoing contribution to the NATO-led
military campaign against the Afghan Taliban. Defence Minister Seiran
Oganian, presenting the draft bill to parliamentarians, stated that the
deployment of troops would help not only advance Armenia's relations
with NATO but also with the European Union (EU), US and Germany. The
number of Armenian soldiers will increase from 45 to 130 and their
mission in Afghanistan will extend until the end of 2012. The soldiers
will serve with NATO's International Security Assistance Force and
will co-operate closely with the German contingent. Part of their
mission will be guarding the airport in northern Afghan city of Kunduz,
which has been under German command since January 2010. The Armenian
military will also train local Afghan security forces. Aside from the
Afghan mission, Armenian troops are serving with NATO-led forces in
Kosovo and US-led military mission in Iraq.
Significance:The Armenian government's decision to increase its troop
numbers comes at a time when some countries such as Poland and Canada
are scaling back their involvement in Afghanistan and others appear
eager to follow suit as domestic support for the war flags. However,
popular support for involvement in the Afghan mission is relatively
high in Armenia, despite the fact the country is still involved in
an unresolved conflict with neighbouring Azerbaijan over the status
of the Armenian-populated breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Well-trained Armenian troops are much needed along the volatile
Armenian-Azerbaijani Line of Contact, especially now that
the Azerbaijani government is openly calling for a new war in
Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, the Armenian popular support
for the anti-Taliban campaign remains strong precisely due to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. During the 1988-1994 war that claimed 30,000
lives on both sides, the Azerbaijani government decided to accept
outside military help in 1992 and 1993. The North Caucasian Islamist
leader Shamil Basayev--infamous for the school siege in Beslan,
southern Russia--admitted fighting against Armenians alongside
Azerbaijani troops and Taliban from Pakistan and Afghanistan,
some of whom were subsequently captured by Armenian forces. On the
wider foreign policy front, involvement with NATO helps Armenia to
somewhat balance its strong military ties with Russia and use the
NATO peacekeeping missions as opportune avenue to boost diplomatic
ties with the West.
BYLINE: Lilit Gevorgyan
Global Insight
May 11, 2011
Today (11 May) the Armenian parliament approved the deployment of
almost three times more troops in Afghanistan as part of the South
Caucasian former Soviet republic's ongoing contribution to the NATO-led
military campaign against the Afghan Taliban. Defence Minister Seiran
Oganian, presenting the draft bill to parliamentarians, stated that the
deployment of troops would help not only advance Armenia's relations
with NATO but also with the European Union (EU), US and Germany. The
number of Armenian soldiers will increase from 45 to 130 and their
mission in Afghanistan will extend until the end of 2012. The soldiers
will serve with NATO's International Security Assistance Force and
will co-operate closely with the German contingent. Part of their
mission will be guarding the airport in northern Afghan city of Kunduz,
which has been under German command since January 2010. The Armenian
military will also train local Afghan security forces. Aside from the
Afghan mission, Armenian troops are serving with NATO-led forces in
Kosovo and US-led military mission in Iraq.
Significance:The Armenian government's decision to increase its troop
numbers comes at a time when some countries such as Poland and Canada
are scaling back their involvement in Afghanistan and others appear
eager to follow suit as domestic support for the war flags. However,
popular support for involvement in the Afghan mission is relatively
high in Armenia, despite the fact the country is still involved in
an unresolved conflict with neighbouring Azerbaijan over the status
of the Armenian-populated breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Well-trained Armenian troops are much needed along the volatile
Armenian-Azerbaijani Line of Contact, especially now that
the Azerbaijani government is openly calling for a new war in
Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, the Armenian popular support
for the anti-Taliban campaign remains strong precisely due to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. During the 1988-1994 war that claimed 30,000
lives on both sides, the Azerbaijani government decided to accept
outside military help in 1992 and 1993. The North Caucasian Islamist
leader Shamil Basayev--infamous for the school siege in Beslan,
southern Russia--admitted fighting against Armenians alongside
Azerbaijani troops and Taliban from Pakistan and Afghanistan,
some of whom were subsequently captured by Armenian forces. On the
wider foreign policy front, involvement with NATO helps Armenia to
somewhat balance its strong military ties with Russia and use the
NATO peacekeeping missions as opportune avenue to boost diplomatic
ties with the West.