Armenia speculates on possible consequences of agreements signed with Russia

PanARMENIAN.Net - According to Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries Vladimir Zharikhin, the new agreement is of great importance both for Moscow and Yerevan. “These changes are significant for strengthening peace in the region,” he said during a Yerevan-Moscow TV space bridge.

Armenian expert Alexander Markarov supported the opinion. “Regional security suggests potential development of economic cooperation, specifically transport infrastructure, implying collaboration with Iran. This is another cooperation possibility, involving Russia’s participation through investments,” he said.

Deputy Chairman of Heritage party board Ruben Hakobyan said that the amendments introduced to the Protocol on extension of Russian military base deployment term in Armenia make it is an absolutely new agreement. “All Armenian citizens will support any governmental plan to strengthen the country’s security, but the above mentioned agreement arouses concerns,” Hakobyan said. “This agreement says nothing about Karabakh's security. Besides, it does not refer to Russia's possible sale of S-300 missile complex to Azerbaijan, the fact Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not deny,” he said, adding that the reason for extension of the base deployment terms for 49 years is unclear either. However, Hakobyan noted that the agreements recently signed by Armenia and Russia prove South Caucasus to be among Moscow's priorities

Head of CSTO Yerevan-based information support center Nver Torosyan said that the decision to extend the Russian base deployment terms was timely. “With Azerbaijan’s ongoing threats, Armenia needs long-terms guarantees. Azerbaijan is boosting defense budget and obtains hardware, so the 1995 agreement between Armenia and Russia had to be revised,” he said.

With signing the protocol on extension of its military base deployment terms in Armenia, Russia is signaling its return to the South Caucasus, according to Chairman of the Constitutional Right Union party Hayk Babukhanyan. “The world is no longer unipolar. Now - with Barack Obama in power - we can speak about multipolarity. It is Russia on the one part, the US and Europe on the other, and China on the third part. Under the circumstances, the Collective Security Treaty Organization becomes an influential force. Actually, the matter concerns the border between NATO and CSTO but not the Armenian-Turkish border. A powerful macro-geopolitical block will possibly be formed, in which Armenia can have an important role,” Babukhanyan said.

Head of European Integration NGO Karen Bekaryan said that the extension of Russian military base deployment terms will not affect the republic’s relations with the U.S. and EU. “Armenia understands that the decision cannot be, to put it mildly, welcomed by the West. Nevertheless. western countries are well aware that the Armenian-Turkish process was frustrated by Turkey, while such a small country as Armenia is rather vulnerable,” he said.

It’s not a positive factor for any state to have another country’s military base be deployed in its territory, according to Galust Sahakayan, head of parliamentary group of the Republican Party of Armenia. At the same time, he noted that deployment of the Russian military base is advantageous for Armenia and voiced hope that RA will one day become a powerful country and will itself deploy bases in other states. “Moscow maintains the military balance in the region. Under the amendments introduced to the agreement between Armenia and Russia, the Russian base will ensure Armenia’s security, what is of utmost importance, specifically in view of Karabakh conflict,” Sahakayan said.

Military psychologist Davit Jamalyan said the recent developments in Armenian-Russian relations present some difficulties for Azerbaijan, which doesn’t give up its bellicose propaganda. “The protocol on extension of the terms of Russian base deployment in Armenia was signed to maintain the balance of forces in the region. The agreement reads that Russian troops will guard not only the Armenian-Turkish but also the Armenian-Azerbaijani border,” Jamalyan said.

Meanwhile, chairman of Noravank foundation Gagik Harutyunyan noted that recent statements by the U.S. Department of State prove that the United States and Russia has reached some consensus on South Caucasus. “The U.S. is discontent with the activity of Turkey-Azerbaijan tandem and Turkey’s strengthening in the region,” he said.