Epress.am News from Armenia
The signed treaties on Russia’s military bases in Armenia aren’t really all that clear for the public, said Pan-Armenian National Movement board member Hovhannes Igityan at a press conference today. National Assembly deputy Hovhannes Sahakyan, also at today’s press conference, asked Igityan to explain what document exactly was finally signed between the two parties. In Igityan’s opinion, the existing points in the documents signed in the last 4–5 years are vague, and only after signing, do the parties say how willing they are.
Afterwards, Igityan, pointing to the vague text in the “Football” treaty, said that the same thing occurred this time: after the document was signed, representatives of the authorities made numerous enthusiastic comments; however, a few days later, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov said that nothing has changed, only the 24 has been changed with the 49, at the same time saying that Russia is building a strategic policy with Azerbaijan, that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has very warm, personal relations with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and that Azerbaijan is Russia’s great partner.
“What I’m saying is the following: if we have any wish or dream from any agreement, that simply must be written down, and, in my opinion, that’s easier to do with Russia, since, as we say, Russia is our strategic partner and everything we say should be accepted there,” said Igityan.
“Issues around coffee or beer, dear colleague, whether you’re going to give Azerbaijan C-300 [missile devices] or not, and if you’re going to give it, please don’t,” joked Igityan, adding that specifically in the case of Azerbaijan’s bellicose statements, even one Kalashnikov bullet shouldn’t be provided to that country.
Sahakyan countered the statement by saying that the entire world says that Armenia and the Armenian authorities have fulfilled their assumed obligations as they have “given their word to man.”
“As for Lavrov’s statement, the response to that statement was made by the Russian President during his press conference… [he] said that if there’s a military situation we’re prepared to protect the Nagorno-Karabakh border,” said Sahakyan.