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    Emil Lazarian
  • 3 years ago
    • Categories: 2021

Pashinyan highlights security cooperation with Russia as a priority for Armenia

TASS, Russia
June 13 2021
Russia and Armenia are in constant contact for solving the problem in the Sotk-Khoznavar border section, Armenian Prime Minister noted

YEREVAN, June 13. /TASS/. Closer security cooperation with Russia is a priority for Armenia, acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a speech broadcast on his Facebook on Sunday.

"I want to present my vision of our country’s security. In order to ensure security, it is very important to further deepen relations between Armenia and Russia," the acting prime minister said in the town of Yeghvard in the Kotyak province in central Armenia.

"We will continue developing and strengthening strategic partnership with Russia, which is our number one partner in the security sphere. Today we are in constant contact with our Russian partners for solving the problem in the Sotk-Khoznavar border section [with Azerbaijan]," he noted.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, with intense battles in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10.

Under the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides maintained the positions that they had held, seven districts passed over to Baku’s control and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the engagement line and the Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Armenian-Azerbaijani border was moved close to Armenia’s Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces. The situation in that area aggravated on May 12 when Armenia’s Defense Ministry reported that Azerbaijani forces had attempted to carry out "certain activities" in one of the Syunik border region’s districts to "adjust the border," moving 3.5 kilometers into the country. The ministry added that the Azerbaijani troops halted their activities following some steps taken by Armenian forces.

Acting Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan has come up with a proposal that Armenia and Azerbaijan withdraw their troops from the border at the Sotk-Khoznavar section in the Gegharkunik province and Russian border guards be deployed there.

Pashinyan also stated that Armenia and Russia were discussing expanding the capabilities of the Russian 102nd military base in the republic and creating the base’s branch in the Syunik province.

Emil Lazarian: “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS