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MILITARY FIELD ALLIANCE
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Oct 17 2014
17 October 2014 - 10:35am
Yuri Glushakov exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
These days one can see Russian navy sailors in Baku, who are watching
the new beauties of the Azerbaijani capital. Residents and guests
of the city can see the power of the Russian Navy from inside - the
guided missile escort ship "Dagestan" and the small-size missile ship
"Grad Sviyazhsk" which are moored near Flag Square.
It is notable that before radical changes to the territory of the new
avenue and Flag Square in Baku, in Soviet times it was the base of
the Caspian Fleet, a mooring area, and similar infrastructure. But
we cannot return to the past, we can only remember it. Azerbaijani
and Russian sailors have something to remember and discuss.
A detachment of the Russian Caspian Fleet headed by Commodore Valery
Smirnov arrived in Azerbaijan on a friendly three-day visit. By
October 19th, along with excursions, meetings and friendly football
matches with Azerbaijani colleagues, sailors of missile ships will
present their craft to Baku residents.
Such meetings are a good tradition of the Navies of the two countries.
Last year battle ships of the countries visited each other as well.
Close cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijani in the Caspian Sea
has gained a stable military aspect. Military cooperation between
the countries was discussed in details earlier this week during
the official visit to Baku by the Defense Minister of Russia,
Sergey Shoygu.
The head of the Defense Ministry was welcomed in Baku at the highest
level as a dear friend who has contributed a lot to development of
relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. Baku remembers his direct
support ofor establishing the Emergency Ministry of Azerbaijan in
2006-2007, the formation of its structure and material base, including
helicopters for rescue activities. At the same time, in hot 2010,
when the center of Russia was covered by fires, two helicopters from
Azerbaijan helped the Russians to fight forest fires near Voronezh
and Lipetsk.
During the meeting between Sergey Shoygu and the President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev it was noted that strong cooperation in all
spheres, including the military sphere, was built between Azerbaijan
and Russia. After the meeting the head of the Russian Defense
Ministry and his Azerbaijani colleague Zakir Hasanov signed a plan of
cooperation between the ministries in 2015. It requires extension of
military and technical cooperation, holding joint battle exercises,
and training of qualified staff. The sides paid special attention
to security on the Caspian Sea and agreed to conduct joint military
exercises between the Russian Navy and the Azerbaijani Navy next year.
The strategic partnership between Russia and Azerbaijan has gained new
outlines in the military sphere. At the same time, nobody recalls the
story with the Qabala Radar Station, as in reality its shutting-down
appeared to be beneficial for both sides. Russia has no expenditures
on the morally and physically outdated station, while Azerbaijan can
state that there are no and will never be foreign military bases on
its territory.
Meanwhile, the military and technical alliance of Russia and
Azerbaijan is being strengthened by new military contracts on
purchasing military vehicles. The total sum of them could reach $5
billion. According to General Hasanov, the plan which was signed
by Shoygu requires purchasing modern weapons and vehicles made in
Russia by Azerbaijan. Thus, Azerbaijan supports the Russian military
industrial sector significantly, as it could suffer from sanctions
launched against Russia by the EU, the U.S., and other countries.
Of course Azerbaijan hasn't joined and won't join Western sanctions
against Russia, and it will help its strategic partner to minimize
the damage.
However, there were negative views on Shoygu's visit to Baku. They
were voiced by Yerevan. It fears that Russia is building a military
political union with Azerbaijan at the expense of its relations with
Armenia. It seems Armenian politicians haven't realized yet that the
fact that they don't want to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
with Azerbaijan and the continuing occupation of Azerbaijani regions
cause more and more dissatisfaction of Moscow. Even American political
scientists who know the Russian establishment well openly discuss it.
This week Ariel Cohen, a well-known American expert on international
affairs, has told ArmInfo that the Kremlin could "betray" the Armenian
President, Serge Sargsyan. Referring to his sources in Moscow, Cohen
stated that Sargsyan irritates Vladimir Putin with his hard line.
"Putin has to compensate for the conflict in Ukraine by settlement
of the Karabakh problem. First of all, Azerbaijan should distance
itself from the pro-Western position, and to achieve this, Armenia
should withdraw from several regions of the Corridor (to Karabakh)
and then agree on a final settlement of the issue. The strategic goal
is Azerbaijan's accession to the EAEU. Russia will have to return
Karabakh to Azerbaijan for this, otherwise it won't follow Moscow.
Sargsyan and the Karabakh clan are an obstacle for the scenario,"
the American expert says.
In this context, the activities of the Armenian opposition which is
consolidated over the idea of a possible overthrow are considered in a
different way, while horror stories about Azerbaijan which is equipped
with Russian military vehicles and weapons are in fact directed against
the Russian policy of supporting an effective balance of forces in
the South Caucasus. Armenia fears that the need for an outpost in
the South Caucasus has diminished. Modern politics demand different,
direct decisions in the region from Moscow, and the close cooperation
with Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey (especially through the Crimean
issue) becomes more important than the nationalist striving of the
Armenian elite. A new big game of Russia in the Caucasus is starting
200 years later...
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/61129.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Oct 17 2014
17 October 2014 - 10:35am
Yuri Glushakov exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
These days one can see Russian navy sailors in Baku, who are watching
the new beauties of the Azerbaijani capital. Residents and guests
of the city can see the power of the Russian Navy from inside - the
guided missile escort ship "Dagestan" and the small-size missile ship
"Grad Sviyazhsk" which are moored near Flag Square.
It is notable that before radical changes to the territory of the new
avenue and Flag Square in Baku, in Soviet times it was the base of
the Caspian Fleet, a mooring area, and similar infrastructure. But
we cannot return to the past, we can only remember it. Azerbaijani
and Russian sailors have something to remember and discuss.
A detachment of the Russian Caspian Fleet headed by Commodore Valery
Smirnov arrived in Azerbaijan on a friendly three-day visit. By
October 19th, along with excursions, meetings and friendly football
matches with Azerbaijani colleagues, sailors of missile ships will
present their craft to Baku residents.
Such meetings are a good tradition of the Navies of the two countries.
Last year battle ships of the countries visited each other as well.
Close cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijani in the Caspian Sea
has gained a stable military aspect. Military cooperation between
the countries was discussed in details earlier this week during
the official visit to Baku by the Defense Minister of Russia,
Sergey Shoygu.
The head of the Defense Ministry was welcomed in Baku at the highest
level as a dear friend who has contributed a lot to development of
relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. Baku remembers his direct
support ofor establishing the Emergency Ministry of Azerbaijan in
2006-2007, the formation of its structure and material base, including
helicopters for rescue activities. At the same time, in hot 2010,
when the center of Russia was covered by fires, two helicopters from
Azerbaijan helped the Russians to fight forest fires near Voronezh
and Lipetsk.
During the meeting between Sergey Shoygu and the President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev it was noted that strong cooperation in all
spheres, including the military sphere, was built between Azerbaijan
and Russia. After the meeting the head of the Russian Defense
Ministry and his Azerbaijani colleague Zakir Hasanov signed a plan of
cooperation between the ministries in 2015. It requires extension of
military and technical cooperation, holding joint battle exercises,
and training of qualified staff. The sides paid special attention
to security on the Caspian Sea and agreed to conduct joint military
exercises between the Russian Navy and the Azerbaijani Navy next year.
The strategic partnership between Russia and Azerbaijan has gained new
outlines in the military sphere. At the same time, nobody recalls the
story with the Qabala Radar Station, as in reality its shutting-down
appeared to be beneficial for both sides. Russia has no expenditures
on the morally and physically outdated station, while Azerbaijan can
state that there are no and will never be foreign military bases on
its territory.
Meanwhile, the military and technical alliance of Russia and
Azerbaijan is being strengthened by new military contracts on
purchasing military vehicles. The total sum of them could reach $5
billion. According to General Hasanov, the plan which was signed
by Shoygu requires purchasing modern weapons and vehicles made in
Russia by Azerbaijan. Thus, Azerbaijan supports the Russian military
industrial sector significantly, as it could suffer from sanctions
launched against Russia by the EU, the U.S., and other countries.
Of course Azerbaijan hasn't joined and won't join Western sanctions
against Russia, and it will help its strategic partner to minimize
the damage.
However, there were negative views on Shoygu's visit to Baku. They
were voiced by Yerevan. It fears that Russia is building a military
political union with Azerbaijan at the expense of its relations with
Armenia. It seems Armenian politicians haven't realized yet that the
fact that they don't want to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
with Azerbaijan and the continuing occupation of Azerbaijani regions
cause more and more dissatisfaction of Moscow. Even American political
scientists who know the Russian establishment well openly discuss it.
This week Ariel Cohen, a well-known American expert on international
affairs, has told ArmInfo that the Kremlin could "betray" the Armenian
President, Serge Sargsyan. Referring to his sources in Moscow, Cohen
stated that Sargsyan irritates Vladimir Putin with his hard line.
"Putin has to compensate for the conflict in Ukraine by settlement
of the Karabakh problem. First of all, Azerbaijan should distance
itself from the pro-Western position, and to achieve this, Armenia
should withdraw from several regions of the Corridor (to Karabakh)
and then agree on a final settlement of the issue. The strategic goal
is Azerbaijan's accession to the EAEU. Russia will have to return
Karabakh to Azerbaijan for this, otherwise it won't follow Moscow.
Sargsyan and the Karabakh clan are an obstacle for the scenario,"
the American expert says.
In this context, the activities of the Armenian opposition which is
consolidated over the idea of a possible overthrow are considered in a
different way, while horror stories about Azerbaijan which is equipped
with Russian military vehicles and weapons are in fact directed against
the Russian policy of supporting an effective balance of forces in
the South Caucasus. Armenia fears that the need for an outpost in
the South Caucasus has diminished. Modern politics demand different,
direct decisions in the region from Moscow, and the close cooperation
with Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey (especially through the Crimean
issue) becomes more important than the nationalist striving of the
Armenian elite. A new big game of Russia in the Caucasus is starting
200 years later...
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/61129.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress