“Armenia Provides to Russia not only Keys to its Sky, but also to the Caucasus”
The agreement on creating a united air defense system between Armenia and Russia is being taken out from the “storage,” and, to all probabilities, will be ratified by the Parliament. The National Assembly didn’t cover the agreement in its last spring session. The document wasn’t discussed at the NA extraordinary session, although prior to that there was an impression that RA authorities hurried to approve it. Thus, after the presidential meeting in St. Petersburg and the meeting of Defense Ministry delegation in Moscow, the Parliament included the agreement in the agenda of the extraordinary session to be launched on June 27. Eduard Sharmazanov, spokesman of the leading political party, stated that clarity has been introduced during the last meeting, agreements have been reached around provision of Russian armaments as well.
Tevan Poghosyan, Secretary of “Heritage” Faction told “168 Hours” that positive points are available in air defense agreement, in case of application of which we’ll really be able to strengthen our air defense. “I don’t believe that in case of any threat Armenian command will be waiting for thinking whether someone will give them command or no. I can’t perceive, when people say that after this Russia will manage Armenia’s air defense system. The command is handed to the Armenian side, any air defense equipment available in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, will be commanded by a commander of Armenia’s air defense forces, naturally, in case of any threat he’ll give the command.
If we are suspicious about that person, then have a wrong appointment of air defense command. We need to seek for the problem in ourselves and not from the other side. Secondly, the agreement includes an independent section, which will include cooperation with Artsakh as well. The process around the agreement has lasted for 3 years, I know about the difficulties around negotiations, and I consider it should be positive,” T.Poghosyan said, adding that the Armenian side was able to protect Armenia’s interests at hard times, and currently it’ll be able to follow Armenia’s interests and be able to provide control mechanisms by the NA and any other office.
Ratification of air defense agreement in RA NA and linking agreements to Russian armaments, according to T.Poghosyan, is artificial. In his words, the Armenian side has already had 4-5 visits to Russia and everybody raised the issue of armaments, “Generally after April 2 they shouldn’t have returned from Moscow, until they’d settle the issue of supplies. It’s very bad that it has been postponed for such a long time, and that the very next day of April operations the Armenian delegation didn’t head for Moscow and forcedly opened all the doors, so that it was implemented as soon as possible. The approach should have been this. And if today the agreements were being touched upon, and if they succeeded, it’s just their job. That’s why one shouldn’t say, “what a philanthropy you have done.” Loan agreement on armaments was signed and was in force for a year, and they should have been supplied to Armenia as soon as possible.”
According to Styopa Safaryan, political analyst, founder and head of the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs (AIISA), involving air defense agreement in NA extraordinary session is conditioned by meetings in St. Petersburg, and maybe Armenia needed to understand what’s going on there. “We don’t know much of how much is Serzh Sargsyan satisfied with talks, however, if he attempted to touch upon Karabakh issue, Putin preferred to fluently pass on to agriculture. Armenia hasn’t ever showed signs, that it won’t ratify, but after the NA four-day session and discussion at the Commission, , that on the one hand cautiousness, as well as ambiguity on its importance and threats were observed, however, on the other hand, we need to understand what Armenia will gain from it.
Armenia is a single country, to which it’s not Russia that pays for its military base, but Armenia takes care of even communal expenditures in case, when CSTO or Russian military base have no sensitivity towards infringement on Armenia’s borders and didn’t interfere. In this regard currently we’re taking the second step. Russia is settling a very important geo-political issue regarding control of the Caucasus, as Armenia provides to Russia not only keys to its sky, but also to the Caucasus, and it’s not clear what it may gain for it.”
According to S.Safaryan even if official Yerevan would ratify that agreement, Russia at least should have paid for it, in form of providing object security guarantees, however, unfortunately, it didn’t occur. He stated that judging from the statement by RPA representatives, official Yerevan linked ratification with allocation of Russian armaments, and if a step is being taken to ratify, Armenia may only “gain” provision of Russian armaments to Armenia.
“Sharing any authority with other country is a problem. And in this regard, if the state faces such an imperative, we need to understand at least what it may gain for that. For Russia this is a small snapshot of a greater—NATO-Russia, USA-Russia, air and terrain—conflict, and if Russia itself gets keys of the Caucasus sky due to Armenia, a question arises here: what will it give for it? Only armaments?
Perhaps this is a very unsuccessful deal, as regarding content Armenia will obviously face issues in practical application of the agreement. What do confirmations that we’ll manage and command will be in our hands mean? For the time being authorities attempt to assure us that we won’t have issues, and everything is properly enshrined, however, we’ll see that Russia settles its issue geo-politically and it’s a question what issue is settled by Armenia. Thus, does Russia provide armaments for a huge debt, that we independently defended ourselves from Azerbaijan in case, when we are implementing its greatest project? I think, this is asymmetric,” S.Safaryan said.
By Gayane Khachatryan
