YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Armenia and Russia have agreed to work together in exporting weapons and other military equipment to third countries, the Defense Ministry in Yerevan announced on Thursday.
The ministry said an agreement to that effect was signed on Wednesday by Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian and a visiting senior Russian official during a meeting of a Russian-Armenian inter-governmental commission on bilateral military-technical cooperation.
A ministry statement gave no details of the agreement, saying only that it envisages the two countries’ “interaction in exporting military production to third countries.” It quoted Ohanian as saying during the signing ceremony that the deal “has a great significance for deepening Russian-Armenian military cooperation and will help to strengthen the armed forces of the two states.”
The statement added that the Russian-Armenian commission discussed “further development” of close military ties between Yerevan and Moscow during the four-day session that drew to a close on Thursday. Konstantin Biryulin, the commission’s Russian co-chairman who signed the export agreement, also discussed the matter with Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian on Wednesday.
Biryulin is also the deputy head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation with foreign nations.
The military alliance with Russia and, in particular, the presence of Russian troops on Armenian soil has been a key element of Armenia’s national security doctrine since independence. Armenia has been entitled to receiving Russian weapons at cut-down prices or even free of charge also because of its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-led military pact of six former Soviet republics.
Ohanian was reported to say earlier this week that Armenia expects direct military assistance from the CSTO in the event of another war with Azerbaijan. That Yerevan can count on such support was confirmed by the CSTO’s secretary-general, Nikolay Bordyuzha, in August.
This assumes that Armenia produces/manufactures arms and has a surplus of arms to be able to sell it to a third country. If this is true, why the Armenian Government has succumbed to outside pressure and signed a defeatist PROTOCOL? Can someone elaborate on this?
Armenia is against the Big boys, Russia, EU and USA. Under such pressure, Armenia might as well to come up with modern weapons. Furthermore, the real agreement is that Armenia must purchase from Russia not from West so that Russians’ solders can use them during conflict between West and East which is not to far.
John:
It is your preception that the Protocols are ‘defeatist’.
The problem is the Armenian side has not been able to read in between the lines of the infamous ‘Protocols’. Therefore, it is defeatist, because the Turkish side is now shamelessly saying there has never been a Genocide, “Show us the documents,” cry erdoghan and davidoghlu.
Protocols served to inflict emotional stress against Armenians. They are against international law and national laws of Armenia herself. As long as they are not withdrawn, Turkey will use them to please Azerbaijan and keep the recognition of Turkish genocide against Armenians by the foreign governments in check.
Lately, Sarkisian’s statements suggests that the protocols would be withdrawn by Armenia within a couple of months.
John, I can only elaborate on this in secret. It’s classified!!!
Hi Haro,
I have TS clearance and I would appreciate any info you may have on this.
Thanks
John
Արդէն Սովետական ժամանակներից մեզ յայտնի է որ Հայաստանում կարեւոր մասնագէտներ կային հետեւեալ ճիւղերում – համակարգչի ծրագրաւորման, օդուժի ճարտարապետութեան, աստրոֆիզիկայի, միջուկային եւ ընդհանուր ֆիզիկայի։ Այս մասնագէտներու մեծամասնութիւնը այսօր գտնուում եւ աշխատում են Թեքսասում, մի մասն էլ Մոսկուայում։ Ուրեմն՝ այս համաձայնութիւնը պէտք է որ կապուած լինի այս ճիւղերի մասնագէտների նոր մշակման հետ։ Կան նաեւ ուրիշ ռազմագիտական տեղեկութիւններ, որոնց յայտնաբերումը այստեղ չափազանց անյարմարին են։
to all of you stressed over the protocols, lament instead on why it is taking so long for the recognition and the punishment of the armenian genocide perpetrators (descendants) in the land of human rights, and freedom we call america??? instead of venting your anger on the armenian authority, (not to imply that they’re innocent), pick your bone with the big dogs
Not only America! Russia and EU are also member of Big Boys Club!
No Armanen, its not my perception, it is FACT. I have read the Protocol and it is there in black and white. We are giving up on Western Armenia by recognizing the present borders and legalizing the illegal treaty of Kars. We are creating doubt in the fact that the Turks committed Genocide by accepting a historical commission. And we are giving up the right to defend Artsakh in case it is attacked by Azerbeidjan. You don’t give up everything and get nothing in return unless you are a defeatist. You are either high on something or you can’t read and comprehend the English language. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
On top of the above, Armenia admits that Armenia has closed her boarder, thus she cannot claim any economic restitution for closing boarder by Turkey unilaterally.
By this protocols, Turkey has a plan to eliminate Armenian pride within the minds of all Armenians so that there will not be any resistance against Turkey any action against national interest of Armenian nation. In short, Turkey is guilty of modern way of genocide.
John K:
Read a couple of books on geopolitcs, and international affairs and maybe we can have an intelligent debate. Otherwise, you’re making hysterical comments without a proper understand of ‘realpolitik’.
I was right you don’t understand English! Check your sentences.. “without a proper understand of realpolitik”? It should read ” without a proper understandING of real politics. And you think you are inteligent? By reading couple of books (and not “A” couple of books) in politics makes you an expert? Several grammar and spelling errors in one sentence? Remember! The English text of the PROTOCOL is the official one. Not the Armenian text nor the Tukish text. Your response to my analysis was just a cop-out. I stated all the facts which are in the PROTOCOL. And your response to me is to read couple of books so you can debate me? What a cop-out.
OK. Let’s do it your way. You want a debate? Go to the hye club forum, register there, if you are not a member already, and lets debate there. We will see who ‘cops out’.
Guys, this does not have anything to do with the protocols. This agreement is a complete sell out of another economic sector to the russians. We now can not produce weapons on our own like the georgians, azeris and turks do. This strangles Armenian foreign policy through arms sales. Actually this is more disturbing to me than the russians owning the rail and energy sectors. There are political-economic methods to get around the transportation control and the energy control, but have the arms sector completely out of our hands?