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Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
July 20, 2005, Wednesday
ARMENIA IS BEING CONDITIONED
SOURCE: Rossiiskiye Vesti, NN 25 - 26, July 14 - 20, 2005, p. 9
by Sergei Radlov
Robert Simmons, Special Envoy of NATO General Secretary in the
Caucasus, says that Armenia may count on the Alliance's assistance if
it decides to rid itself of the Russian military base on its
territory.
Simmons admits that the move of some Russian military hardware from
Georgia to the base in Armenia does not collide with provisions of
the Treaty on Conventional Arms in Europe. The official is convinced,
however, that this move is undesirable if Yerevan decides at some
later point that it does not want the Russian military presence
anymore. Because it will be that much more difficult to withdraw the
Russian base from Gyumri then. In the meantime, existence of the base
does not prevent the Alliance from advancing interaction with
Armenia. NATO does not regard Russia as a rival in the Caucasus.
Simmons' words should be taken literally. On the one hand, NATO does
not need a quarrel with Moscow. Particularly since Armenia does not
object to the Russian military presence unlike Georgia. On the other
hand, had Russia left Armenia altogether, NATO would not have been
sorry to see it go.
This is not the first time the West is trying to win Armenia over. It
uses certain military-political changes in the region to accomplish
its objectives. Yerevan has always viewed Turkey as the major threat
and therefore counted on Moscow and Russian troops on Armenian
territory. Turkey aspires for membership in the European Union
nowadays and therefore behaves. This is why, some analysts say,
official Yerevan no longer views Ankara as a threat and that
diminishes Russia's importance in the role of a potential ally.
If assessments like that are correct, then NATO's activeness in the
region is quite understandable. It has to gain at least a foothold
there, even a tiny one, and to proclaim itself a powerful player in
the sphere of regional security.
The West is even playing on Yerevan's sensitivity in the matter of
Nagorno-Karabakh. There is the widespread impression that Armenia is
irked by the Russian-Turkish rapprochement. US Ambassador to Armenia
John Evans recently announced that it was quite plain that
Nagorno-Karabakh could not be turned over to Azerbaijan. He added,
however, that it was his personal opinion but specialists choose to
take his statement as a "feeler".
In other words, Russia's withdrawal from Georgia is being used to
promise Armenia assistance it does not even ask for in the first
place. After all, Armenian leaders actually welcome the decision of
the Russian General Staff to move some military hardware to Gyumri.
Not one of them has ever mentioned the possibility of closing the
base.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
July 20, 2005, Wednesday
ARMENIA IS BEING CONDITIONED
SOURCE: Rossiiskiye Vesti, NN 25 - 26, July 14 - 20, 2005, p. 9
by Sergei Radlov
Robert Simmons, Special Envoy of NATO General Secretary in the
Caucasus, says that Armenia may count on the Alliance's assistance if
it decides to rid itself of the Russian military base on its
territory.
Simmons admits that the move of some Russian military hardware from
Georgia to the base in Armenia does not collide with provisions of
the Treaty on Conventional Arms in Europe. The official is convinced,
however, that this move is undesirable if Yerevan decides at some
later point that it does not want the Russian military presence
anymore. Because it will be that much more difficult to withdraw the
Russian base from Gyumri then. In the meantime, existence of the base
does not prevent the Alliance from advancing interaction with
Armenia. NATO does not regard Russia as a rival in the Caucasus.
Simmons' words should be taken literally. On the one hand, NATO does
not need a quarrel with Moscow. Particularly since Armenia does not
object to the Russian military presence unlike Georgia. On the other
hand, had Russia left Armenia altogether, NATO would not have been
sorry to see it go.
This is not the first time the West is trying to win Armenia over. It
uses certain military-political changes in the region to accomplish
its objectives. Yerevan has always viewed Turkey as the major threat
and therefore counted on Moscow and Russian troops on Armenian
territory. Turkey aspires for membership in the European Union
nowadays and therefore behaves. This is why, some analysts say,
official Yerevan no longer views Ankara as a threat and that
diminishes Russia's importance in the role of a potential ally.
If assessments like that are correct, then NATO's activeness in the
region is quite understandable. It has to gain at least a foothold
there, even a tiny one, and to proclaim itself a powerful player in
the sphere of regional security.
The West is even playing on Yerevan's sensitivity in the matter of
Nagorno-Karabakh. There is the widespread impression that Armenia is
irked by the Russian-Turkish rapprochement. US Ambassador to Armenia
John Evans recently announced that it was quite plain that
Nagorno-Karabakh could not be turned over to Azerbaijan. He added,
however, that it was his personal opinion but specialists choose to
take his statement as a "feeler".
In other words, Russia's withdrawal from Georgia is being used to
promise Armenia assistance it does not even ask for in the first
place. After all, Armenian leaders actually welcome the decision of
the Russian General Staff to move some military hardware to Gyumri.
Not one of them has ever mentioned the possibility of closing the
base.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress