Analyst: Israeli minister’s visit to Armenia is a clarification of positions and invitation to dialogue on economic and security issues

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
August 7, 2017 Monday


Analyst: Israeli minister's visit to Armenia is a clarification of
positions and invitation to dialogue on economic and security issues

Yerevan August 7

David Stepanyan. Visit of the Minister of Regional Cooperation of
Israel Tsakhi Anegbi to Armenia - clarification of positions, perhaps
an invitation to a systemic dialogue on economic and security issues.
This opinion was voiced by the Russian analyst, expert in the South
Caucasus Sergey Markedonov.

On July 25-27, the Minister of Regional Cooperation of Israel Tsakhi
Anegbi visited Yerevan at the invitation of Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian. Anegbi met with Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan,
Speaker of Parliament Ara Babloyan, a number of ministers.
Negotiations with Nalbandyan resulted in Anegbi's statement "about a
new breakthrough in the relations between Israel and Armenia," the
practical direction of work to make friendship mutually beneficial.

However, Markedonov believes that agreeing with Anegbi's thesis about
a breakthrough in Israel's relations with Armenia is rather difficult,
assessing the visit with restraint and without overstating
expectations. Especially considering the sensitive issue for Yerevan
of arms supplies to Baku, which Anegbi went around tactfully,
referring to Israel's readiness to sell weapons to everyone, including
Armenia.

The analyst is convinced that even the most pragmatic reasons at the
heart of the Armenian-Iranian partnership is not preferable for
Israel, like the military-technical cooperation between Yerevan and
Tel Aviv for Baku. However, in any case, the Caucasian and Middle
Eastern countries are striving to build a nuanced policy. Both sides
try to eliminate problematic centers, trying to refrain from tight
binding to a partner, creating a positive reserve for growth.

"All this applies not only to the rest between Iran and Israel, on
which Armenia stands. We should note Armenia's participation in NATO
exercises "Noble partner-2017 ", the preparation of a framework
agreement with the EU. The aspiration of Armenia to insure itself, to
lay eggs in different baskets, is caused by instability , the
volatility of the outside world, which clearly does not show a trend
towards greater security, and today, not only small countries like
Armenia demonstrate this line," the analyst concluded.