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Armenian Armed Forces Are Getting Ready
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments - 09 November 2014, 00:16
Armenia and Artsakh are holding a big military exercise in accordance
with the military cooperation plan of two states. The military
exercise is one of the regular components of activities of the armed
forces and is implemented in accordance with plans, and spontaneity is
very seldom, considering issues relating to organization of
large-scale drills.
On the other hand, this large-scale military exercise of Armenia and
Artsakh is being held in an interesting period. A few days ago, the
Azerbaijani foreign minister Mammedyarov announced that the necessity
of a new Sargsyan-Aliyev is not ruled out in the forthcoming period.
The previous meeting was on October 27 in Paris, under the aegis of
the French president. During this meeting, according to the press
release of the French president's administration, the sides agreed to
have the next meeting next year in New York.
If such agreement is reached, it means that France and the United
States at least are not planning a new Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting. Hence,
Mammedyarov's statement means that there can be a meeting that will be
either unplanned or simply agreed with Russia, which also can take
place under certain unplanned circumstances. And another period of
escalation in the region can be such a circumstance. By the way,
recently the minister of defense of Armenia has announced about
escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact.
In this respect, the large-scale joint military training of Armenia
and Artsakh can be seen as an answer to Azerbaijan's statement, and
the Armenian forces are preparing not to be startled.
At the same time, the region is facing new challenges, namely the
developments in Georgia. The issue that seemed to have been crossed
out of the agenda has been brought back: is Georgia facing the
Euro-Atlantic or Eurasian integration? The vivid supporters of the
Euro-Atlantic line are leaving the ruling coalition and government,
while the United States is expressing concerns about Georgia's
commitment to the Euro-Atlantic path.
The ex-minister of defense Irakli Alasania has announced openly that
that the Euro-Atlantic line is undergoing an attack serving the
Russian interests. It is possible that it is just an external reason
to avoid defeat in the domestic situation which is not an actual
problem. However, the expression of concerns by the United States is
evidence to risk of a U-turn.
Although, deep inside the risk is bigger. Instability in Georgia will
eventually allow Russia to achieve full occupation of Georgia, which
had been prevented by Sarkozi and was left midway during the war in
2008.
Instability in Georgia cannot be outside the regional package because
the Caucasus is too small, with interwoven interests to be limited to
Georgia, and Turkey and Azerbaijan will certainly expect support for
mutual freedom regarding the issue of Artsakh for supporting Russia
regarding freedom of actions in Georgia.
In this respect, the large-scale military training of the armed forces
of Armenia and Artsakh is also urgent in the context of developments
in Georgia which are far from signaling vaster instability in the
region but currently developments are too dynamic, which requires
equally fast and far-reaching reaction of the Armenian side.
The military training of the Armenian armies is adequate to current
developments. At the same time, the Armenian armed forces have bitter
experience, especially that this experience showed that aside from its
core duties the armed forces have to perform foreign political
functions. Interestingly, the training precedes NATO week in Armenia.
In the context of regional realities and interests, NATO and Armenia
are natural allies because they are largely interested in stability in
Georgia which is essential to maintaining the regional status quo.
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/33189#sthash.0wYmtvzY.dpuf
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments - 09 November 2014, 00:16
Armenia and Artsakh are holding a big military exercise in accordance
with the military cooperation plan of two states. The military
exercise is one of the regular components of activities of the armed
forces and is implemented in accordance with plans, and spontaneity is
very seldom, considering issues relating to organization of
large-scale drills.
On the other hand, this large-scale military exercise of Armenia and
Artsakh is being held in an interesting period. A few days ago, the
Azerbaijani foreign minister Mammedyarov announced that the necessity
of a new Sargsyan-Aliyev is not ruled out in the forthcoming period.
The previous meeting was on October 27 in Paris, under the aegis of
the French president. During this meeting, according to the press
release of the French president's administration, the sides agreed to
have the next meeting next year in New York.
If such agreement is reached, it means that France and the United
States at least are not planning a new Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting. Hence,
Mammedyarov's statement means that there can be a meeting that will be
either unplanned or simply agreed with Russia, which also can take
place under certain unplanned circumstances. And another period of
escalation in the region can be such a circumstance. By the way,
recently the minister of defense of Armenia has announced about
escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact.
In this respect, the large-scale joint military training of Armenia
and Artsakh can be seen as an answer to Azerbaijan's statement, and
the Armenian forces are preparing not to be startled.
At the same time, the region is facing new challenges, namely the
developments in Georgia. The issue that seemed to have been crossed
out of the agenda has been brought back: is Georgia facing the
Euro-Atlantic or Eurasian integration? The vivid supporters of the
Euro-Atlantic line are leaving the ruling coalition and government,
while the United States is expressing concerns about Georgia's
commitment to the Euro-Atlantic path.
The ex-minister of defense Irakli Alasania has announced openly that
that the Euro-Atlantic line is undergoing an attack serving the
Russian interests. It is possible that it is just an external reason
to avoid defeat in the domestic situation which is not an actual
problem. However, the expression of concerns by the United States is
evidence to risk of a U-turn.
Although, deep inside the risk is bigger. Instability in Georgia will
eventually allow Russia to achieve full occupation of Georgia, which
had been prevented by Sarkozi and was left midway during the war in
2008.
Instability in Georgia cannot be outside the regional package because
the Caucasus is too small, with interwoven interests to be limited to
Georgia, and Turkey and Azerbaijan will certainly expect support for
mutual freedom regarding the issue of Artsakh for supporting Russia
regarding freedom of actions in Georgia.
In this respect, the large-scale military training of the armed forces
of Armenia and Artsakh is also urgent in the context of developments
in Georgia which are far from signaling vaster instability in the
region but currently developments are too dynamic, which requires
equally fast and far-reaching reaction of the Armenian side.
The military training of the Armenian armies is adequate to current
developments. At the same time, the Armenian armed forces have bitter
experience, especially that this experience showed that aside from its
core duties the armed forces have to perform foreign political
functions. Interestingly, the training precedes NATO week in Armenia.
In the context of regional realities and interests, NATO and Armenia
are natural allies because they are largely interested in stability in
Georgia which is essential to maintaining the regional status quo.
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/33189#sthash.0wYmtvzY.dpuf