POSSIBLE RE-DEPLOYMENT OF RUSSIAN MILITARY BASES ISSUE OF
ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS: LEVON MKRTICHYAN

YEREVAN, May 27. /ARKA/. Possible re-deployment of Russian military
bases from Georgia to Armenia is an issue of Armenian-Russian
relations, Levon Mkrtichyan, Head of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
parliamentary faction, told reporters. According to him, this issue
can be settled under Armenian-Russian military agreements, as well as
within Armenia’s commitments to the Council of Europe, including in
setting up military quotas. “If these criteria are observed, it will
be a problem of Russian-Armenian relations alone,” Mkrtichyan said.
On the other hand, Mkrtichyan said that the withdrawal of Russian
bases from Georgia involves the problem of Javakhk Armenians.
According to him, the presence of Russian military bases in Georgia
means a solution to serious problems of Javakhk Armenians,
particularly social problems and problems of security of the Armenian
community. He pointed out that the intensification of Turkey’s policy
toward the region and Georgian-Turkish military cooperation arouses
the Georgia-based Armenian population’s concern. Mkrtichyan said that
the best way of dispelling this concern is the establishment of the
“equal citizenship” principle in Georgia, which means that Armenians
must not feel any infringement on their rights in Georgia. Mkrtichyan
stated that “the Armenian community’s fear of future may vanish if the
community will really enjoy and exercise its democratic rights and
succeeds in preserving its national identity, culture, language and
schools.” In his turn, speaking of the possibility of re-deployment
of the Russian military bases from Georgia to Armenia, Galust
Sahakyan, Chairman of the RPA parliamentary faction told ARKA that
negotiations are currently under way, but no decisions have yet been
made. He pointed out his positive attitude to this idea, saying that
“materiel is most likely to be transported, and other issues must be
settled as a result of negotiations.” P.T. -0–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress