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WILL RASMUSSEN VISIT ARMENIA?
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/28742
20:28 28/01/2013
Today, on the Army Day, it became known that CSTO Secretary General
Nikolay Borduzha's delegation and the defense minister of Russia
Sergey Shoygu arrive in Yerevan.
The visit was not announced in case NATO arrives earlier than CSTO.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen suddenly visited Yerevan
last September when the CSTO exercise was scheduled. The exercise
was postponed not to invite Rasmussen and show him CSTO arsenal.
This time Armenia and CSTO were cautious enough not to announce the
visit beforehand. Serzh Sargsyan had announced at the beginning of
his campaign that Armenian-Russian military cooperation and membership
are the axis of Armenia's security.
It will hardly mark the end of cooperation between NATO and Armenia.
Yerevan gets considerable assistance from NATO for modernization and
training. However, Armenia seems to have made its geopolitical choice.
Experts do not rule out that the choice was not made by Armenia but was
the result of Russia-West agreement which divided zones of influence,
and Armenia and Georgia were "handed" to Russia.
Armenia and CSTO declare further deepening of their relations. The
CSTO Academy has been set up. In fact, CSTO officers will study in
Yerevan, and Armenia will become Russia's senior "younger brother"
from who the others will learn.
This time Rasmussen will hardly manage to arrive but there is still
a lot of time to go before the presidential election. It is important
whether NATO still wishes to cooperate with Armenia.
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/28742
20:28 28/01/2013
Today, on the Army Day, it became known that CSTO Secretary General
Nikolay Borduzha's delegation and the defense minister of Russia
Sergey Shoygu arrive in Yerevan.
The visit was not announced in case NATO arrives earlier than CSTO.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen suddenly visited Yerevan
last September when the CSTO exercise was scheduled. The exercise
was postponed not to invite Rasmussen and show him CSTO arsenal.
This time Armenia and CSTO were cautious enough not to announce the
visit beforehand. Serzh Sargsyan had announced at the beginning of
his campaign that Armenian-Russian military cooperation and membership
are the axis of Armenia's security.
It will hardly mark the end of cooperation between NATO and Armenia.
Yerevan gets considerable assistance from NATO for modernization and
training. However, Armenia seems to have made its geopolitical choice.
Experts do not rule out that the choice was not made by Armenia but was
the result of Russia-West agreement which divided zones of influence,
and Armenia and Georgia were "handed" to Russia.
Armenia and CSTO declare further deepening of their relations. The
CSTO Academy has been set up. In fact, CSTO officers will study in
Yerevan, and Armenia will become Russia's senior "younger brother"
from who the others will learn.
This time Rasmussen will hardly manage to arrive but there is still
a lot of time to go before the presidential election. It is important
whether NATO still wishes to cooperate with Armenia.