Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Sergey Grinyayev: Armenia Has Just To Realize Its Status Of An Essen

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Sergey Grinyayev: Armenia Has Just To Realize Its Status Of An Essen

    SERGEY GRINYAYEV: ARMENIA HAS JUST TO REALIZE ITS STATUS OF AN ESSENTIAL PARTNER FOR RUSSIA

    ArmInfo's interview with Director General of the Center of Strategic
    Assessment and Forecast Sergey Grinyayev

    by David Stepanyan

    Thursday, February 27, 10:28

    The key conclusion of the recent Moscow-hosted roundtable discussion
    on the Russian army was that terrorist war is the major challenge
    for Russia. What is this conclusion based on?

    The military-political and military-strategic situation in the world
    makes countries revise their attitude to defense. Growing terrorist
    threats and the recent developments in the Middle East, and Syria,
    first of all, along with many other problems necessitate Russia to
    have quick response capabilities to meet the challenges it is facing.

    Over the last years, the Russian Armed Forces have not been properly
    re-equipped. The situation began to change during the last few years,
    but much is still to be done to keep the balance of power in the world
    arena. In addition, to settle a series of tasks, the military budget
    of Russia should be spent not only on purchase of new models of arms
    and military equipment, but also in reconstruction of infrastructures.

    I am sure that without reliable infrastructure, it is impossible to
    settle either military tasks or non- typical tasks, like liquidation
    of the latest flood aftermaths in the Russian Far East. So, I don't
    think that the big military budget will be spent on purchase of
    arms within the coming years. He thinks that much will be spent on
    creation of dual-purpose infrastructures to foster Russia's economic
    and general development.

    As a result of the two Geneva meetings the United States and Russia
    have come to terms on Syria and Iran. Have they reached agreements
    that might allow them to regulate a wide spectrum of relations?

    I would not take the Geneva agreements seriously. History shows that
    the United States is unyielding and mostly takes what it wants. In
    Syria they are using diplomatic ways to put things into a deadlock,
    while in the meantime they keep saying that their military plans in
    that country are still in force. In Iran they are trying to cause
    internal instability. So, we can say that the Americans have not
    changed their plans on either Syria or Iran, what they have changed
    is the means they are using to carry those plans out.

    Why is Israel so openly pessimistic about Iran's nuclear agreements
    with P5+1?

    Israel believes that only it can have a mass destruction weapon in the
    region. In the last years the Israelis have done their best to leave
    both Iraq and Syria without nuclear weapons, and now it's Iran's turn.

    So, they will not accept any pact leaving Iran at least the tiniest
    chance to have a nuclear weapon of its own.

    Are the West and Russia making equal efforts in their fight for
    Ukraine? What will the Maidan end in?

    Russia, unlike the West, has never laid political conditions when
    giving loans, while for the West politics have always been a top
    priority. And we all see what this policy has led to in Ukraine. They
    in Ukraine have proved unable to confront the new challenges that
    have come from the Middle East and North Africa - something termed as
    'irregular warfare' in present-day military science. The Ukrainian
    leaders should have been more resolute in their actions. A state is
    not always a carrot, sometimes it must be a stick. But most of them
    have appeared to be more worried about their own selves than about
    their country. They left their law enforcers alone face to face with
    the mob and may well make them scapegoats in the end.

    What countries will be attracted by the Kremlin's reintegration
    projects should it win in the fight for Ukraine?

    The Kremlin is not forcing anybody to join its reintegration projects.

    Today Russia is different - it is ready to help but only on a mutually
    beneficial basis. If a partner has what to offer to us, it will be
    welcome into the Customs Union, but if somebody has nothing to offer
    or regards Russia as a milk cow only, we don't need such a partner.

    Many people in Armenia are seriously worried that the prices of a
    number of imported items will grow as the customs duties will be made
    equal to the duties that are in force in the Customs Union. Can any
    military-political preferences outbalance the vague economic future
    of Armenia as part of the Customs Union?

    I am sure that Armenia will find its place in new Eurasian
    geopolitics. Here we must act jointly, without saying 'give us this
    or that cheaper just because we are partners.' If we want something,
    we must offer something in exchange. Military strategic partnership
    is the key bonus in Russian-Armenian relations. "Russia's military
    capacities in Armenia guarantee balance of forces and stability in the
    region. But this cannot be a firm basis for longer- term cooperation.

    "Here we also need economic motives and closer economic ties
    irrespective of formats. Armenia must find its place in history as
    an essential partner for Russia. The last events have shown that
    the West does not need us. What it wants is permanent conflicts in
    Russia, Armenia, Belarus and Ukraine and people killing each other,
    while it will be pumping resources from their neglected economies.

    Armenia's accession to the Customs Union, the supplies of arms to
    Azerbaijan and Russia's growing military presence in Armenia and the
    region - can this bring the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement closer?

    The absence of territorial disputes is a guarantee of stability in
    any region. I think that Russia's comeback to the South Caucasus will
    foster security and development in that region, with the Nagorno-
    Karabakh problem being really crucial for the future of the whole
    Caucasus.

    Does Armenia make use of its geographic situation? What other chances
    have it missed so far?

    I think Armenia does not use all the advantages it has today. I don't
    mean only geography. Geography was important some hundred years ago at
    the time of commodity flows. Today, we are witnessing the birth of a
    new information society based on a world wide web. So, important today
    are not material but information flows. In this light, Armenia with
    its unique Diaspora networks perfectly fits into this new world. I
    think that Armenia is the only Customs Union country that is ready
    for the realities of the new information society. If wisely used, this
    advantage can make you a leader of the Union. I hope that the Customs
    Union will be one of the first successful symbols of the new world.

    http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=C66A4390-9F80-11E3-AA680EB7C0D21663




    From: A. Papazian
Working...
X