Epress.am News from Armenia
The extension of Russia’s military bases’ term in Armenia shouldn’t be described with ordinary words, said Republican Party of Armenia MP Rafik Petrosyan at a press conference today, adding that if Azerbaijan is forming an alliance with Turkey and Georgia with the US, then Armenia can cooperate with Russia, considering Armenia’s centuries-old brotherhood with Russia.
Heritage Party member, National Assembly deputy Larisa Alaverdyan, in turn, said that by such measures, Russia is simply moving its usual policy forward and extending the term of the military bases shows that Russia is strengthening its positions in the region.
“We should consider the agreement as the continuation of strengthening Russia’s interests [and] field of interests. But it raises a question: where is our, Armenia’s initiative?” asked Alaverdyan, adding that Armenia has always simply followed Russian policy and has never taken its own initiative.
Petrosyan, disagreeing with Alaverdyan, mentioned Armenia-Turkey relations as an example of taking initiative — with which Alaverdyan completely disagreed. She noted that Armenia-Turkey relations are not an Armenian initiative, but rather are dictated by the major powers.
“We don’t have a foreign ministry as such: in Armenia, there’s a body for foreign relations,” said the Heritage Party MP.