ARMENIA’S DEPUTY CHAIR OF PARLIAMENT: RUSSIA’S SUSPENSION OF CFE TREATY MUST NOT CAUSE CONCERN
Regnum, Russia
Dec 13 2007
Russia’s suspension of the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty
is a rude attempt to correct the mistakes of the Russian leadership
made in 1990s, believes Deputy Speaker of the Armenian National
Assembly, member of ARFD Dashnaktsutiun Vahan Hovhannisyan. He made
the statement at a news conference today, on December 13.
A REGNUM correspondent quotes him as saying that permanent NATO
expansion, boisterous wish of some post-Soviet republics to enter the
alliance must make Russia concerned. However, according to the deputy
speaker, such motion of the Russian leadership will not help increasing
trust of its Western partners. At the same time, the suspension of
the treaty by Russia must not stir concern, as, for instance, Russia’s
military strategy has no aggressive programs, Hovhannisyan believes.
Commenting on the question whether it is possible that Armenia would
follow Russia’s example in the CFE Treaty, the politician noted that
such action would be possible only if Armenia’s closest neighbors in he
region revise their participation in the treaty. At the same time, the
deputy speaker said hat one Armenia’s neighbor – Azerbaijan – has never
limited itself in buying arms and violating thus the CFE principles.
Russia suspended its participation in the CFE Treaty on December 12.
For the time of the moratorium, Russia will in no way be bound
by limitations, including flank restrictions for the number of
conventional weapons. Further, true numbers of weapons and its
deployment will depend on a certain military and political situation.