STATE DUMA INDIGNANT AT PARTICIPATION OF AZERBAIJAN, MOLDOVA AND ARMENIA IN ‘ANTI-RUSSIAN’ EXERCISES OF NATO IN GEORGIA
ArmInfo
2009-04-22 13:22:00
The Russian State Duma is indignant at participation of Azerbaijan,
Moldova and Armenia in the "anti-Russian" exercises of the NATO to
be held in Georgia. Russian media reported that on the Wednesday
meeting of the State Duma Semyon Baghdasarov, a member of the State
Duma Committee for International Affairs (Spravedlivaya Rossiya (Fair
Russia) Party) said that NATO exercises scheduled for May are of
anti-Russian nature by the geography and participants. ‘In addition,
these exercises are against our allies in South Ossetia and Abhkazia’,
he said. S. Baghdasarov is surprised that among the participants in
these exercises are CIS member-states: Azerbaijan and Moldova. ‘We
have recently protected the leadership of Moldova from the intrigues of
the West. Despite this, that country participates in NATO exercises’,
he said.
He called it nonsense that Armenia, a member of CSTO, participates
in the NATO exercises. ‘The country that has been our evident ally
quite recently, participates in anti-Russian exercises’, Baghdasarov
said. The parliamentarian charged the State Duma Committee for CIS
and Relations with Compatriots to request the opinion of the Russian
Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry.
NATO exercises in Georgia to be held on May 6-June 1 will involve
nearly 1.3 thousand servicemen from 18 NATO member- and partner-
states.