RUSSIA GIVES COUNTERBLOW, ARMENIA’S ACTIONS DEPEND ON AZERBAIJAN
Lragir
Dec 13 2007
Armenia
Armenia can reconsider its participation in the Agreement on
Conventional Weapons in Europe in case Azerbaijan does, stated
the deputy speaker of the National Assembly Vahan Hovanisyan,
who is the ARF Dashnaktsutyun presidential candidate. "Otherwise,
I don’t think that the revision of the agreement will be useful for
Armenia, especially now," Vahan Hovanisyan stated December 13 at the
National Press Club, in answer to the question of reporters what the
consequences of Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement will be for
the region and Armenia in particular, and if Armenia may follow Russia.
Vahan Hovanisyan noticed, however, despite participating in the
agreement Azerbaijan does not limit its expenditures on weapons. "As
to Russia, I think though roughly Russia is correcting the mistakes of
the Russian government in the early 1990s," stated Vahan Hovanisyan,
noting that in those years Russia retreated from its strongholds in
Europe and could not prevent the enlargement of NATO.
"The continuous enlargement of NATO, creation of strongholds of NATO in
the post-Soviet space, and the urge of some post-Soviet states for NATO
membership should worry Russia, and it is ready for a counterblow,"
Vahan Hovanisyan says. He does not think that it will foster mutual
understanding between Russia and its Western partners, but on the other
hand, there is no major threat, because Vahan Hovanisyan thinks judging
by the military doctrine of Russia, it does not have aggressive plans.