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ARMENIAN BATTLE RESERVE
Alexander Deryabin
WPS Agency
April 16, 2012 Monday
Russia
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No 73, April 16, 2012, p. 11
[translated from Russian]
AN INTERVIEW WITH PRIME MINISTER OF ARMENIA TIGRAN SARKISJAN; An
interview with Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sarkisjan.
Question: What is Armenia's military budget this year?
Tigran Sarkisjan: Armenia's budget as such amounts to 1 trillion
drams, and military budget amounts to 14% of the whole sum. It means
approximately 140 billion drams.
Question: The Armenian leadership launched military reforms. Could
you please update us on the reforms under way?
Tigran Sarkisjan: The first part of the reforms concerned structural
changes and organizational matters. It was not particularly expensive.
It is the second part of the reforms that will be much more costly. We
mean to dramatically increase the professional part of the army. And we
mean to carry out some social projects in connection with it. Pay will
be increased as well. In any event, it is construction of tenements
for servicemen that is going to be a particularly expensive article
of the military budget.
The last part of the reforms concerns rearmament. Our plans in this
sphere stipulate production of military hardware in Armenia and
procurement of sophisticated weapons abroad.
Question: How much will average servicemen be paid soon?
Tigran Sarkisjan: Their pay will exceed the average pay in Armenia. As
matters stand, average pay in Armenia amounts to approximately 110,000
drams or about $400. It is certainly wrong to pay servicemen less
than that.
Question: A few words on the relations with the Alliance, please. Does
the Armenian military plan rapprochement with it?
Tigran Sarkisjan: The Armenian-NATO cooperation might be said
to consist of several components. First, technical assistance in
modernization of the Armenian regular army; second, personnel training
programs; and third, participation in joint projects. For example,
our military doctors were in Kosovo. Anyway, all of that are trifles
when compared with the extensive cooperation programs under way with
our partners in the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Armenia's cooperation with NATO does not even come close to its
cooperation with CIS CSTO countries. Cooperation with CIS CSTO
countries is the undeniable priority. There is a Russian military
base in Armenia, after all. As for NATO, we only mean to be friendly
with this structure.
Question: Considering escalation of tension in connection with Iran, is
any strengthening of the Russian military presence in Armenia planned?
Tigran Sarkisjan: It is only planned within the framework of the
agreement on the Russian military base. In 2010, we extended the
stay of the Russian base in Armenia until 2044. We did not take any
additional measures to increase Russian military presence here.
Question: Is the Armenian leadership ready for the economic problems
a military operation against Iran might entail? What effect will an
armed conflict between the West and Iran have on Armenia?
Tigran Sarkisjan: About 20% of our turnover is carried out via Iran.
An armed conflict will therefore mean problems with export and
import... The events in Georgia in August 2008 taught us a lesson. The
railways were down for a whole month then and that posed a genuine
threat to the Armenian economy. We had to rely on trucks and planes
then and that greatly increased transportation costs.
Armenia has to accumulate the necessary potential... reserves that
will enable it to weather economic consequences of military conflicts.
Question: What about Armenia's reserves at this time?
Tigran Sarkisjan: We need to stock up bare necessities - medicines,
foods, fuel... enough to last the country three months. Their
accumulation is not easy or cheap, but we've been stocking up on
them ever since 2008. As for the degree of their and our readiness,
that's something I cannot tell you as I'm sure you understand.
Alexander Deryabin
WPS Agency
April 16, 2012 Monday
Russia
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No 73, April 16, 2012, p. 11
[translated from Russian]
AN INTERVIEW WITH PRIME MINISTER OF ARMENIA TIGRAN SARKISJAN; An
interview with Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sarkisjan.
Question: What is Armenia's military budget this year?
Tigran Sarkisjan: Armenia's budget as such amounts to 1 trillion
drams, and military budget amounts to 14% of the whole sum. It means
approximately 140 billion drams.
Question: The Armenian leadership launched military reforms. Could
you please update us on the reforms under way?
Tigran Sarkisjan: The first part of the reforms concerned structural
changes and organizational matters. It was not particularly expensive.
It is the second part of the reforms that will be much more costly. We
mean to dramatically increase the professional part of the army. And we
mean to carry out some social projects in connection with it. Pay will
be increased as well. In any event, it is construction of tenements
for servicemen that is going to be a particularly expensive article
of the military budget.
The last part of the reforms concerns rearmament. Our plans in this
sphere stipulate production of military hardware in Armenia and
procurement of sophisticated weapons abroad.
Question: How much will average servicemen be paid soon?
Tigran Sarkisjan: Their pay will exceed the average pay in Armenia. As
matters stand, average pay in Armenia amounts to approximately 110,000
drams or about $400. It is certainly wrong to pay servicemen less
than that.
Question: A few words on the relations with the Alliance, please. Does
the Armenian military plan rapprochement with it?
Tigran Sarkisjan: The Armenian-NATO cooperation might be said
to consist of several components. First, technical assistance in
modernization of the Armenian regular army; second, personnel training
programs; and third, participation in joint projects. For example,
our military doctors were in Kosovo. Anyway, all of that are trifles
when compared with the extensive cooperation programs under way with
our partners in the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Armenia's cooperation with NATO does not even come close to its
cooperation with CIS CSTO countries. Cooperation with CIS CSTO
countries is the undeniable priority. There is a Russian military
base in Armenia, after all. As for NATO, we only mean to be friendly
with this structure.
Question: Considering escalation of tension in connection with Iran, is
any strengthening of the Russian military presence in Armenia planned?
Tigran Sarkisjan: It is only planned within the framework of the
agreement on the Russian military base. In 2010, we extended the
stay of the Russian base in Armenia until 2044. We did not take any
additional measures to increase Russian military presence here.
Question: Is the Armenian leadership ready for the economic problems
a military operation against Iran might entail? What effect will an
armed conflict between the West and Iran have on Armenia?
Tigran Sarkisjan: About 20% of our turnover is carried out via Iran.
An armed conflict will therefore mean problems with export and
import... The events in Georgia in August 2008 taught us a lesson. The
railways were down for a whole month then and that posed a genuine
threat to the Armenian economy. We had to rely on trucks and planes
then and that greatly increased transportation costs.
Armenia has to accumulate the necessary potential... reserves that
will enable it to weather economic consequences of military conflicts.
Question: What about Armenia's reserves at this time?
Tigran Sarkisjan: We need to stock up bare necessities - medicines,
foods, fuel... enough to last the country three months. Their
accumulation is not easy or cheap, but we've been stocking up on
them ever since 2008. As for the degree of their and our readiness,
that's something I cannot tell you as I'm sure you understand.