BIGGEST THREAT TO SECURITY INSIDE
Lragir
Oct 10 2007
Armenia
The balance between the three countries of the region is changing,
not in favor of Armenia, stated Richard Giragosian, a U.S.-based
political scientist, in a discussion in Yerevan on October 10.
According to him, Azerbaijan is boosting military expenditure
which may considerably change the balance in the upcoming years,
and in this sense the military advantage of Armenia in the region
is temporary. The political scientist says as long as Safar Abiyev
is the defense minister of Azerbaijan, we can be sure that the
appropriations for the army are dissipated and the army remains weeks
and disorganized. On the other hand, however, big appropriations may
in the future give advantage to Azerbaijan.
Richard Giragosian thinks Armenia should therefore make steps in
that direction. The first should be sustainable dynamic of military
reforms. In this respect, Richard Giragosian points to military
intelligence as important, adding that the death of the head of
military intelligence Basentsi Azoyan was a great loss for the Armenian
armed force and now somebody is sought to replace him.
According to the political scientist, the next strand of military
reforms should be technology. Richard Giragosian thinks Armenia can
place the army at a new technological level thanks to its IT potential.
Besides, Richard Giragosian thinks diplomatic, political work with
international organizations is also important for them to possibly
support the reforms in the Armenian army because the Armenian army’s
function is defense, and is able to be a guarantee of stability in the
region. Apart from all, the U.S.-based Armenian political scientist
thinks it is highly important for Armenia not to rely on external
guarantees of security, Russia or NATO, to be a self-sufficient country
and rely on its own potential. Therefore, the political scientist says,
it is necessary to acknowledge that the biggest threat to security
is inside, i.e. corruption, which hinders the development of the
country’s economy.