YEREVAN (Yerkir)—Armenian Revolutionary Federation leaders have expressed concern over Russia’s recent deepening of military cooperation with Armenia’s main regional adversaries, saying Moscow’s policies in the Caucasus are becoming “very dangerous” and run counter to a military alliance between Armenia and Russia.
ARF Armenia Supreme Council member and chairman of the parliamentary committee of defense and national security, Hrair Karapetian, told reporters Wednesday that Russia’s posturing goes counter to the Collective Security Treaty Organization, of which Azerbaijan is not a member. The CSTO is a Russia-led defense alliance between six former Soviet States, which was established to counterbalance NATO’s influence in the region.
Karapetian highlighted a plan of joint military activities for next year that was recently signed by the defense ministers of Azerbaijan and Russia. He said, “This makes us wonder, ‘What is the difference between us and Azerbaijan?’ We are a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Azerbaijan is not. Is it worth deepening military cooperation with a country whose representatives periodically make bellicose statements?”
He said the Russian policy “…is at least strange and unacceptable to us. It contributes to the development of an even more dangerous situation,” with regards to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Karapetian went on to deplore Russian-Turkish military cooperation. Moscow is seeking to forge closer defense links with “a country that still threatens Armenia’s security,” he said.
At a press conference Tuesday, ARF Bureau member Vahan Hovannesian said that Moscow’s policies related to the South Caucasus are becoming “very dangerous” for Armenia.
The two ARF leaders urged Armenia’s traditional allies, including members of the CSTO, of forging military relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey, as they would shift the balance of power in the region.
I also found this dangerous
We have fought side by side with the Russians and now they are forgeting that.
Instead of helping the Armenians get their land back
They are laughing toghether with the Azeris.
It’s about time.
The negative roles that Russia and the US/EU have been playing in pushing Armenia to make deals contrary to its national interests have only been hinted at elsewhere or rarely discussed.
The people of Armenia need to know how and why they are being ill-served by these major powers so that they – the people – have the information they need to stop Armenia and Artsakh’s descent into Turkish and Azeri hell.
This is very unfavourable for both Armenia and Artsakh. The people must know that their country is being very ill-served by the superpowers and they can stick their politics into some other people’s mouths. The so-called superpowers’ needs are oil and turkish land. They are walking all over Armenia and Artsakh. This sounds terrible, I agree with ARF. Our people in the homeland must know everything and they must speak up for their rights.
Now that we own your energy sector, your communication sector, and your military I guess we can do as we please.
Azerbaijan has no intrest or gain from Russia, every former Soviet state knows Russia’s politics.
This move by the Azeri’s is aimed at spreading panic in Armenia ,and pressure Turkey not to open the borders.
By the way here are some of Azerbaian’s Real friends.ISRAEL.U.S.A.TURKEY.EUROPE (NATO)……
Kremlin’s actions are predictable. Russia will help Armenia only if this serves KREMLIN’s interests. Moscow does not care even about Russia’s own interests. Neither does it care about Armenia’s, Azerbaijan’s, or Georgia’s interests. Kremlin realized that it cannot subdue Azerbaijan by helping Armenia in the conflict. Azerbaijan is a key state in transporting oil and gas from Azerbaijan and Middle Asia to Europe.
Russia invaded Georgia and keeps occupying 20% of its territory, but this aggression turned out to be very expensive. Russia cannot afford another invasion of Azerbaijan. On the other hand Russia needs Azeri, Turkmen and Kazakh oil and gas to flow through Russia, rather than through Georgia.
Armenia may be a loyal friend to Russia, but Russia may not need Armenia any more.
Nothing is really surpising here. For 200 years, Georgia helped Russia in its war against North Caucasus. But Russia quickly betrayed Georgia and started wars against it, once Georgians demanded independence. It is obvious that neither S. Ossetia, nor Abkhazia would have any success without direct military, political and financial support from Russia. This support started in 1990 and has been accelarating ever since.
Armenia should be realistic about its expectations and act accordingly. ‘Friendship’ with Russia is unreliable. Continued occupation of Azeri territories is unsustainable. Armenia should try to make a lasting deal with both Azerbaijan and Turkey. This means giving up something in order to keep the rest. In the last few centuries Turkey has captured vast Armenian and Georgian territories. That is why so many ethnic Armenians and Georgians live in Turkey today. However it is unrealistic to claim these territories back. In the beginning of 20th century, Sochi was part of Georgia, but Stalin gave it to Russia. It is unrealistic for Georgia to claim Sochi now. On the other hand Abkhazia and S. Ossetia were parts of Georgia in 1991. Back then, up until 2008, Russia considered them to be parts of Georgia. Georgia will claim these territories and will get them back one way or the other.
Armenia should decide what it can keep and what it should give to Azerbaijan. Keeping all the occupied territories is not possible. Counting on Russia is not wise. Since 1994, Russia has been struggling to keep its own territories in N. Caucasus. Maintaining its territories will be more difficult year after year. At this point Russia cannot afford continuous help to Armenia. The sooner Armenians find new allies, the better for Armenia. In Caucasus, America and Europe are not as strong as Russia is. But I think it is better to be friends with weak and decent allies (the West), than strong and immoral ‘friend’ (Russia). Today, Russia may look very strong in Caucasus. But by 2020, Kremlin’s influence here will decline.
Deployment of the Diaspora “HAYOTS MARDIGNER” is possibly near if these cowards make the biggest mistake they have ever experienced. Alliyev, to many of us itching on this side!
AllahouAkbar !!!
and very dangerous indeed it is…I’ve been saying all along…history is about to be repeated and we will be betrayed by the great powers in their race to secure natural respources from the region….different reason this time but same end result.
Our leaders should wake up and start lobyying world wide instead of sleep at the switch till it’s a fait accomplit and our nation, is once again, burried in the annals of history
We should not forget that Russia olsa have a radar base in Azerbaijan, in servise for years. One can see that variety of allies always brings benefit. I want to say that if you dont have any alternatives against Russia, this makes you less precious for Russia. Armenia or any other country should not engage only to Russia, but must find new partners.
This tactic makes Turkey valuable. You can study history and wll find that Turkey always changed its’ partners. So Armenia should continue good relations with Russia, but not only with him. There is no loyality in politics.
Russian presidency lost contact with reality and seem to not know if it’s lost Armenia, the bells will toll at the gates of Russia . It is the begining of the end for the Russian Fedration .
President Gul…can go and take his propaganda elsewhere….sooner or later Turkey will fall down to its knees…cause they cannot live a lie forever…nobody can… the truth is just a door step away….
The Arabs hate Turkey…so all this brother / brother thing is just convenient fo Syria right now…but as soon as the tide changes…Good Bye Turkey.
The Russians…well that’s another story…they did betray us before and so did the Brits and Americans …it is just a power play…the only nation who stood by us throughout is France…
Are the Turkish people bad…? No they are not…it is their government
Listen People….Just Stop….There is nothing we can do.This is just talk and talk…I am sick of it already… We are not like Israel…we do not have the Big Brother backing us up. For thousands of years our cities have been ruined and our people enslaved.. No other nation Cared or will ever care about us. We are on our own…All I ask for is forget about the genocide and move on…All we get for our demands is Nothing…even worse it creates extra pressure on Arcakh…As mentioned by some one else, all we can hope for is Greece and France….thats it…
garen what you wrote is completely stupid and im sorry to put it that way, but it is and i dont wanna ever read something as shocking as that again , regarding the genocide or poltical allies, greece cant do much for armenia ad france showed its loyalty by betraying armenia in ww1 and before it, giving syrian lands to turkey and so on. wake up buddy ,
It’s really unfair world Yemenis and Saudis months ago, they are killing under the eyes of the world Huthis.
Russia is not dangerous, Armenia’s politics raises dangers. And the danger is not for Turks, Russians, and/or Azeris, but for the Armenians.
jeshmarid@yahoo.com
Nekst Year are elections in azerbaijan. So, aliev wants something to be done. medvedev makes moves to impress it. after elections, none cares about a thing.
We should not exclude that all parts, but Armenia, want a war in the region. War will end up with signing an agreement, like in civilized societies! Sides will have to “accept the reality” – Ossetia and Abkhazia go to Russia, Armenia is divided between neighbors. Each will get a piece Gergia, Azeris, Turkey and Iran. The good news is, that all parts also know some history – Armenians are good fighters. What is the percent of the high-ranked Armenian officers in former USSR? Heroes of the WWII? Most of them, by the way, being Artsakhians! This is the only thing that stops them from starting.
Do you know, for what Charents was persecuted by stalin? He wrote a poem with starting letters saying: Armenians, your power is in your togetherness.
But I think it is better to be friends with weak and decent allies (the West), than strong and immoral ’friend’ (Russia). => ZviadKavteli, i have to disagree with you, for a number of reasons.
The first is allies don’t have to be friends and vice-versa. Second is when discussing about allies in politics/geopolitics, i doubt there is any place for morality issues.
Third, but not least, Russia may be immoral, but the “West” is no angel either. Be it as weak as you say ( though i also challenge this statement, the west is not weak it just isn’t the strongest, we live in a multipolar world), there are many many cases in which it has showed double standards, therefore morality is out of question!