Centre TV, Moscow
April 24 2009

Russian party leader Zhirinovskiy stresses strength of alliance with
Armenia

Alliance with Russia is the only strategy for Armenia to ensure its
long-term survival, according to Vladimir Zhirinovskiy, the leader of
the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and deputy speaker of the State
Duma. He was interviewed on the "25th Hour" programme on Moscow city
government controlled Centre TV on 23 April.

Zhirinovskiy said: "Well we are very old allies. Russia has always
been helping perhaps for about 200 years because Armenia, by the way,
was in a difficult position. The Ottoman empire and the Iranian empire
– it was squeezed, lost its territory and its people. Therefore, we
are blood-allies so to speak. If we look at Kazakhstan and Central
Asia, there could also be pro-Chinese moods, as well as a pro-Turkish
or pro-American sentiments – there is a possibility for
manoeuvre. Here manoeuvres are not possible because to fall under the
influence of Turkey or Azerbaijan is disastrous for Armenia from
ideological point of view and from cultural as well as from economic
points of view."

"Armenia will never express feelings of sympathy towards Turkey,
i.e. it is the most strategic ally [of Russia] in the South Caucasus."

Zhirinovskiy admitted that Russia can have and does have good
relations with Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan "but in the event of
some kind of Muslim solidarity, Azerbaijan will be with Turkey and
Turkey with Azerbaijan but not with Russia or Armenia". "Therefore in
any case Russia is Armenia’s only saviour, hope and support. This is
why there are our border guards on the border with Turkey and Iran,"
Zhirinovskiy said and added that Armenia was "the only country which
is ready for everything and interested." Zhirinovskiy agreed that
Armenia was interested in Russian expanding its influence in the South
Caucasus and said that Armenia "does not at all demand priority for
Armenia, it [Russia] is simply a guarantor of security for them
because from two sides it is squeezed between two Turkic states, it
has not prospects. It is hard and dangerous for it."

"For Armenia the only way to remain a state for all times is to be in
an alliance with Russia. This is the purest and longest lasting
strategic alliance – otherwise they will be destroyed from all
directions."