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Russian-Armenian Military Agreement and Planned NATO Trainings in Armenia

By Mais Alizade

There are Common Issues of Interests and Lines of Russia and West within South Caucasus

“Caucasus is really important for West as a window to Middle Asia. However the situation created by Russia after the war of 2008 in Georgia, the fact of Azerbaijani lands occupation, military cooperation of Armenia with Russia impede the achievement of this goal for NATO". The Head of NATO Group of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, deputy form the ruling Party of Justice and Development (PJD) Vakhid Erdem reported.

V. Erdem informed that despite this policy, NATO maintains the relations with South Caucasus states: “We can’t know beforehand, the way it will end. Russia arms Armenia again, which is not welcomed by West. West should definitely proceed its relations with this region. And it’s impossible to predict the result it will lead to. At the moment Russia seems to control the situation. I don’t think that Russia strives to improve the relations between Turkey and Armenia. Although, maybe, it seems so, but it’s hard to believe in. As the improvement of Turkish-Armenian relations will speed up the western integration of Armenia and South Caucasus. And Russia does its utmost to impede this process”.
 

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The deputy of the main opposition – Turkish Peoples Party, former Ambassador of Turkey to NATO Onur Öymen underlined, that he was surprised that Turkish media doesn’t focus on the new military agreement, signed between Russia and Armenia: “The issue should be considered within a wider aspect. In February Russia signed a military agreement also with Abkhazia. Also there they rent air and marine bases for 49 years forward. The new signed agreement with Armenia reveals the intention of Russia to stay within Caucasus for years. As we wish to have no conflicts in this region, there is a new power balance appearing in the agenda. Armenians, having prolonged the term of rent of Gyumri base, most likely, have also gained a powerful political support from Russia. Later on Russia will blink at the standing occupation of Nagorny Karabakh by Armenians. I don’t know the reaction of Azerbaijan on these processes, however the kind of indifferent attitude of Turkey towards the ongoing processes forces us to analyze. On the one hand, trade relations between Turkey and Russia promote, Turkey authorized Russia to construct a nuclear power plant within its territory, but on the other hand, Russia doesn’t refuse of the steps in the region which are of a high concern for Turkey. Although this all is very important, Turkey doesn’t lay importance on it ".

According to O. Öymen NATO can’t demand Turkey to hold any trainings: “If Turkey objects, there will be no trainings in Armenia. As NATO adopts decisions unanimously. If the agenda includes the forwarding of Armenian NATO military ammunition via Turkey, it means that Turkey has given its consent. There were times, when due to disagreement of Greece NATO military trainings in Aegean Sea were cancelled. At the moment, NATO military trainings in Armenia are not inexpedient. If Turkey protests the trainings can be postponed or cancelled. If the press is right, then Turkey didn’t object the trainings in Armenia. Unfortunately, now Turkey has thepolicy of inclinations before everybody. The policy of “no problems with neighbors” have resulted into new problems within the region ".

The deputy of the Party of Nationalistic Movement, the member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Tundzha Toskai noted that the policy of PJD towards Armenia doesn’t correspond to the reality: “Armenia has never been sincere towards us. It was obvious, that Armenian policy of Russia will never change. That is why there was no positive result of Turkish policy. Everybody witnessed some short-term offenses between Turkey and brother Azerbaijani state. We gradually observe the negative results of this. We should decisively ease the distrust between Turkey and Azerbaijan. The leaders of the two states should meet often. Ministries of Foreign Affairs should work intensively to improve the relations between the two states as much as possible. The relations between our states should develop on a discreet basis.
  
  
World media monitoring
   

 
10.09.2010