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ARMENIA-RUSSIA: SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIALS FROM MOSCOW DISCUSS PROSPECTS OF STRONGER COOPERATION IN YEREVAN
News | 30.01.13 | 10:45
Photo: www.president.am
President Serzh Sargsyan received the Minister of Defense of the
Russian Federation Sergei Shoygu (left)
By Naira Hayrumyan ArmeniaNow correspondent
On January 28, which was officially marked as Army Day in Armenia,
the South Caucasus country was unexpectedly visited by Russian Defense
Minister Sergey Shoygu and Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha, who had an impressive
delegation with him.
Enlarge Photo RA Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan hosts his Russian
counterpart Sergey Shoygu (right)
While the visits were described as 'scheduled' ones, as a matter of
fact both took place in an unannounced manner.
During their meetings with the top leadership of Armenia the Russian
officials gave "assurances' that the military cooperation between
Armenia and Russia, both bilateral ties and ties within the framework
of the CSTO, would "further expand and deepen".
During a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Seyran
Ohanyan on Tuesday, Shoygu explained that the matter concerned
"additional elements of security of Armenia." He did not elaborate
on that.
The visit to Armenia by Russian Defense Minister Shoygu coincided with
the meetings of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with
the OSCE Minsk Group co-heads in Paris, France. The meetings also
discussed the issue of the Stepanakert airport. In a statement, the
Co-Chairs included a reference to their own statement on the airport
of July 13, 2012, in which they noted: "The Co-Chairs received renewed
assurances from the sides that they will reject any threat or use of
force against civil aircraft, pursue the matter through diplomatic
steps, and refrain from politicizing the issue."
In fact, the parties gave guarantees of the non-use of force against
civil aircraft. This means either that the question now concerns not
civil, but military aircraft or that the Co-Chairs can't agree on
who should be in charge of ensuring the security of the airport.
Probably Russia, willfully or with the consent of the other co-chair
countries, the United States and France, has decided to deploy modern
air defense systems in Karabakh to become a "guarantor" of Karabakh's
security, and at the same time get a military airport in the strategic
location. It is not excluded that the matter concerns joint use of
the airport by the Russian forces and NATO.
"I don't think that any state today will, indeed, allow itself
to destroy civilian aircraft. So I don't treat this information
seriously," said CSTO Secretary General Bordyuzha in Yerevan, terming
Azerbaijan's threats to shoot down planes a 'bad joke'. But in doing
so he only reaffirmed that the matter concerns non-civilian aircraft.
Either way, the visit of two senior Russian military officials to
Armenia 20 days before the presidential election and on an official
holiday, Army Day, looked like a sign of Russia's ultimate return
to Armenia.
"We are particularly pleased that [your visit] is taking place during
the days when the Armenian Army is celebrating the 21st anniversary
of its establishment. This is very symbolic and in full accordance
with the spirit and dynamic trends of the deepening Armenian-Russian
alliance," said Armenian Minister Ohanyan.
For several months before the election, President Sargsyan has been
trying to build his policy on attempts to diversify the country's
foreign-policy orientation, reducing dependence on Russia by means
of establishing closer relations with the European Union and the
United States.
But less than three weeks before the ballot in which Sargsyan hopes
to be reelected to the number one political post in the country,
and especially after the visits of Shoygu and Bordyuzha, there seems
to be little left from that attempt at diversification. Meanwhile,
in Yerevan Armenia and Russia signed a memorandum on the foundation
of a CSTO academy. It was said that chassis for Russian KamAZ trucks
will be assembled in Armenia where service centers for the maintenance
of military equipment will also be founded. Bordyuzha reminded that
some of these centers are already functioning as centers for servicing
the vehicles of the Armenian Armed Forces.
According to Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia
Artur Baghdasaryan, in 2013 Armenia will host more than two dozen
events within the framework of its cooperation with the CSTO.
Baghdasaryan also said that the CSTO Academy will start functioning
already in a few months. "This is going to be a very serious analytical
center," the Armenian official underscored.
http://armenianow.com/news/42941/rmenia_russia_defense_minister_sergey_shoygu_visit
News | 30.01.13 | 10:45
Photo: www.president.am
President Serzh Sargsyan received the Minister of Defense of the
Russian Federation Sergei Shoygu (left)
By Naira Hayrumyan ArmeniaNow correspondent
On January 28, which was officially marked as Army Day in Armenia,
the South Caucasus country was unexpectedly visited by Russian Defense
Minister Sergey Shoygu and Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha, who had an impressive
delegation with him.
Enlarge Photo RA Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan hosts his Russian
counterpart Sergey Shoygu (right)
While the visits were described as 'scheduled' ones, as a matter of
fact both took place in an unannounced manner.
During their meetings with the top leadership of Armenia the Russian
officials gave "assurances' that the military cooperation between
Armenia and Russia, both bilateral ties and ties within the framework
of the CSTO, would "further expand and deepen".
During a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Seyran
Ohanyan on Tuesday, Shoygu explained that the matter concerned
"additional elements of security of Armenia." He did not elaborate
on that.
The visit to Armenia by Russian Defense Minister Shoygu coincided with
the meetings of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with
the OSCE Minsk Group co-heads in Paris, France. The meetings also
discussed the issue of the Stepanakert airport. In a statement, the
Co-Chairs included a reference to their own statement on the airport
of July 13, 2012, in which they noted: "The Co-Chairs received renewed
assurances from the sides that they will reject any threat or use of
force against civil aircraft, pursue the matter through diplomatic
steps, and refrain from politicizing the issue."
In fact, the parties gave guarantees of the non-use of force against
civil aircraft. This means either that the question now concerns not
civil, but military aircraft or that the Co-Chairs can't agree on
who should be in charge of ensuring the security of the airport.
Probably Russia, willfully or with the consent of the other co-chair
countries, the United States and France, has decided to deploy modern
air defense systems in Karabakh to become a "guarantor" of Karabakh's
security, and at the same time get a military airport in the strategic
location. It is not excluded that the matter concerns joint use of
the airport by the Russian forces and NATO.
"I don't think that any state today will, indeed, allow itself
to destroy civilian aircraft. So I don't treat this information
seriously," said CSTO Secretary General Bordyuzha in Yerevan, terming
Azerbaijan's threats to shoot down planes a 'bad joke'. But in doing
so he only reaffirmed that the matter concerns non-civilian aircraft.
Either way, the visit of two senior Russian military officials to
Armenia 20 days before the presidential election and on an official
holiday, Army Day, looked like a sign of Russia's ultimate return
to Armenia.
"We are particularly pleased that [your visit] is taking place during
the days when the Armenian Army is celebrating the 21st anniversary
of its establishment. This is very symbolic and in full accordance
with the spirit and dynamic trends of the deepening Armenian-Russian
alliance," said Armenian Minister Ohanyan.
For several months before the election, President Sargsyan has been
trying to build his policy on attempts to diversify the country's
foreign-policy orientation, reducing dependence on Russia by means
of establishing closer relations with the European Union and the
United States.
But less than three weeks before the ballot in which Sargsyan hopes
to be reelected to the number one political post in the country,
and especially after the visits of Shoygu and Bordyuzha, there seems
to be little left from that attempt at diversification. Meanwhile,
in Yerevan Armenia and Russia signed a memorandum on the foundation
of a CSTO academy. It was said that chassis for Russian KamAZ trucks
will be assembled in Armenia where service centers for the maintenance
of military equipment will also be founded. Bordyuzha reminded that
some of these centers are already functioning as centers for servicing
the vehicles of the Armenian Armed Forces.
According to Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia
Artur Baghdasaryan, in 2013 Armenia will host more than two dozen
events within the framework of its cooperation with the CSTO.
Baghdasaryan also said that the CSTO Academy will start functioning
already in a few months. "This is going to be a very serious analytical
center," the Armenian official underscored.
http://armenianow.com/news/42941/rmenia_russia_defense_minister_sergey_shoygu_visit