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Armenia And Russia's Arm-Length Friendship

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  • Armenia And Russia's Arm-Length Friendship

    ARMENIA AND RUSSIA'S ARM-LENGTH FRIENDSHIP

    EurasiaNet.org, NY
    June 4 2013

    June 4, 2013 - 1:43pm, by Giorgi Lomsadze

    Armenia may be Moscow's best bet for a sovereign friend south of
    the Caucasus mountains, but careful political maneuvering by Yerevan
    suggests that Armenia is committed to maintaining personal space in
    this relationship and to keeping its options open.

    New Russian ballistic missiles were reportedly moved to the Gyumri
    base, the only remaining military outpost for Russia in the undisputed
    part of the South Caucasus. Armenia also lets the Collective Security
    Treaty Organization (CSTO) -- Russia's response to NATO -- hold war
    games, move troops and set up training facilities on its territory.

    Plans are reportedly also underway to set up the CSTO's joint air
    force headquarters in Armenia.

    All of this prompts internal complaints that Armenia is becoming
    little more than a Russian garrison, with national security, economy
    and culture all tied to Moscow.

    A closer look, however, reveals that Armenia is trying not to have
    all its strings attached to Moscow and remains, in fact, arguably
    the most versatile of the South Caucasus states when it comes to
    alliance-building.

    It maintains a military partnership with Moscow as a deterrent against
    a potential conflict with Azerbaijan, but also has a non-committal
    partnership with NATO. It listens and nods to Moscow's exhortations
    to join the Eurasian Union, the Moscow-led customs-club answer to
    the European Union, but proceeds with the seemingly contradictory
    goal of an association agreement with the EU. Armenia also manages
    to have a strategic friendship with Iran, which provides tourists,
    investment and energy supplies.

    Navigating through major geopolitical currents, Armenia is not
    sailing into any of the big harbors. And goes its way without any
    big statements.

    No doubt, Yerevan is under pressure from Moscow to join the Eurasian
    Union experiment, and more Russian guns and rubles will reduce the
    wiggle room for Armenia, but, so far, it sure seems to make use of
    every square centimeter of what it has.

    http://www.eurasianet.org/node/67070



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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