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RELYING ON RUSSIA: SARGSYAN SLAMS AZERI WARMONGERING AS PUTIN ANNOUNCES NEW DEFENSE DEAL WITH ARMENIA
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
http://armenianow.com/karabakh/42571/armenia_russia_military_cooperation_azerbaijan_kar abakh_defense_treaty
KARABAKH | 16.01.13 | 12:41
Earlier this week Russian news agencies, citing the Kremlin,
disseminated a slightly odd piece of information saying that "Russian
President Vladimir Putin has agreed with the government's proposal
to hold talks with Armenia for the signing of the agreement on the
development of military-technical cooperation" and that "after the
conclusion of the negotiations the Government has been instructed to
sign an agreement with this country."
The agreement has been under development since last February when
Security Council Secretary of the Russian Federation, Nikolay
Patrushev, visited Armenia. He signed an appropriate protocol with
his Armenian counterpart Artur Baghdasaryan.
It is not yet known what the new treaty implies, especially that
in 2010 Armenia already transferred to Russia the last thing that
a sovereign state can give to a military partner - the right to
protect its security. However, that agreement, as it was construed
later, applies to protecting Armenia from "external enemies", and by
"external" Russia still means any country that was not part of the
USSR. Azerbaijan, with which Armenia is, in fact, in a state of war,
is not one of those countries.
Perhaps, the new agreement will also include an item specifically
concerning Azerbaijan. Moreover, on January 15, Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan stated that Azerbaijan continues to threaten Armenia
and a military adventure of Azerbaijan could be expected any day.
Sargsyan had gathered leaders of all branches of power at a meeting
at the Ministry of Defense to say that the first priority of the state
is to maintain security. He urged all to consolidate around the armed
forces and be ready for mobilization -- because Armenia from now on
is the guarantor of the physical security of Karabakh.
"The main threat to our security is the clearly anti-Armenian,
fascist, militarist policy of the leadership of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
openly violates the ceasefire agreement, soldiers are periodically
killed along the line of contact and the leadership of Azerbaijan is
responsible for their blood," stated Sargsyan.
Also, the head of the Armenian state said that Armenia is a part of
various integration processes, at the same time it is being guided by
its own economic and strategic interests. "Nevertheless, the core of
Armenia's security will continue to be the Armenian-Russian military
allied cooperation, which has proved its viability. In this context,
we attach great importance to our membership in the Collective Security
Treaty Organization," said Sargsyan.
"By entrusting to this organization certain components of our security,
we believe this organization is one of the guarantors of our security,"
he continued, adding, that Armenia is also in close cooperation with
NATO, trying to learn its best practices.
"Armenian peacekeepers continue to participate in NATO missions in
Afghanistan and Kosovo, but the core is cooperation with Russia,"
concluded Sargsyan.
The agreement on the extension of the lease on the Russian military
base in Armenia and transfer to Russia of the functions on protecting
the security of Armenia signed in 2010 drew some criticism of the
leadership over its unilateral policy. Many call for a revision
of relations with Russia and transition from vassal to political
arrangements. As a result, Armenia strengthened the European direction
of its policies and in November 2013 it may sign an association
agreement with the European Union. But the Armenian authorities
are trying to provide a "division of labor": they leave economy and
democratic reforms to the West and security to Russia.
Europe has already stated that Armenia's accession to the Customs
Union with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will block the way for the
establishment of a deep and comprehensive free trade area with the EU.
The day will surely come when Europe will also declare the
inadmissibility of the presence of the Russian military base in any
country associated with the EU.
From: A. Papazian
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
http://armenianow.com/karabakh/42571/armenia_russia_military_cooperation_azerbaijan_kar abakh_defense_treaty
KARABAKH | 16.01.13 | 12:41
Earlier this week Russian news agencies, citing the Kremlin,
disseminated a slightly odd piece of information saying that "Russian
President Vladimir Putin has agreed with the government's proposal
to hold talks with Armenia for the signing of the agreement on the
development of military-technical cooperation" and that "after the
conclusion of the negotiations the Government has been instructed to
sign an agreement with this country."
The agreement has been under development since last February when
Security Council Secretary of the Russian Federation, Nikolay
Patrushev, visited Armenia. He signed an appropriate protocol with
his Armenian counterpart Artur Baghdasaryan.
It is not yet known what the new treaty implies, especially that
in 2010 Armenia already transferred to Russia the last thing that
a sovereign state can give to a military partner - the right to
protect its security. However, that agreement, as it was construed
later, applies to protecting Armenia from "external enemies", and by
"external" Russia still means any country that was not part of the
USSR. Azerbaijan, with which Armenia is, in fact, in a state of war,
is not one of those countries.
Perhaps, the new agreement will also include an item specifically
concerning Azerbaijan. Moreover, on January 15, Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan stated that Azerbaijan continues to threaten Armenia
and a military adventure of Azerbaijan could be expected any day.
Sargsyan had gathered leaders of all branches of power at a meeting
at the Ministry of Defense to say that the first priority of the state
is to maintain security. He urged all to consolidate around the armed
forces and be ready for mobilization -- because Armenia from now on
is the guarantor of the physical security of Karabakh.
"The main threat to our security is the clearly anti-Armenian,
fascist, militarist policy of the leadership of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
openly violates the ceasefire agreement, soldiers are periodically
killed along the line of contact and the leadership of Azerbaijan is
responsible for their blood," stated Sargsyan.
Also, the head of the Armenian state said that Armenia is a part of
various integration processes, at the same time it is being guided by
its own economic and strategic interests. "Nevertheless, the core of
Armenia's security will continue to be the Armenian-Russian military
allied cooperation, which has proved its viability. In this context,
we attach great importance to our membership in the Collective Security
Treaty Organization," said Sargsyan.
"By entrusting to this organization certain components of our security,
we believe this organization is one of the guarantors of our security,"
he continued, adding, that Armenia is also in close cooperation with
NATO, trying to learn its best practices.
"Armenian peacekeepers continue to participate in NATO missions in
Afghanistan and Kosovo, but the core is cooperation with Russia,"
concluded Sargsyan.
The agreement on the extension of the lease on the Russian military
base in Armenia and transfer to Russia of the functions on protecting
the security of Armenia signed in 2010 drew some criticism of the
leadership over its unilateral policy. Many call for a revision
of relations with Russia and transition from vassal to political
arrangements. As a result, Armenia strengthened the European direction
of its policies and in November 2013 it may sign an association
agreement with the European Union. But the Armenian authorities
are trying to provide a "division of labor": they leave economy and
democratic reforms to the West and security to Russia.
Europe has already stated that Armenia's accession to the Customs
Union with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will block the way for the
establishment of a deep and comprehensive free trade area with the EU.
The day will surely come when Europe will also declare the
inadmissibility of the presence of the Russian military base in any
country associated with the EU.
From: A. Papazian