Challenges to the Security of the South Caucasus Countries and NATO - 2016: Page 5 of 9
19 July, 2016
Russian side against such extension of Turkey's military presence, while it always displays quiet sharp reaction to the actions of any other member states of the Alliance.
About Russia and NATO priorities in the South Caucasus
Laura Baghdasaryan - What is now happening in Yerevan is the direct consequence first of all of April events, and second of those phenomena, processes in the country and situations that were talked about a lot, but are faced in such a grotesquely enlarged form only now.
Three major trends are now observed in the Armenian society.
-Sobering towards the expectations from Russia (including CSTO), as a strategic partner and military-political partner. Hence, formation of new slogans and fracture of deep-rooted stereotypes on Russia in the society.
- Demand for deep democratic reforms in the country, not as a condition for integration into various European organizations or NATO, but as a well-recognized necessity of effective use of the existing small resources including for the Army (which with honor handled the short April war unleashed by Azerbaijan). By the way, this is the most amazing paradox for me, as according to classic theory of the conflicts- the liberation of the society is always subordinate and inferior to the priorities of external security. I did not invent this- there is an ocean of examples of this.
-The immersed internal crisis, the utter bankruptcy of the entire political field in Armenia. The situation is manifested for only a half a year before the parliamentary elections, before the introduction of the new form of government in the country (from presidential to parliamentary). Under these conditions, it will be enough to trust the fate of the state in any political force was. In fact, there is nobody to choose from. These days, the people who take to the streets and are left one on one against the police cordon, become the mirror of the cruel reality in which everybody has to look.
Hayk Martirosyan - Oddly enough this situation opens new opportunities for the West and for NATO member states in particular, except for Turkey, to be more active in Armenia. Even the lobbies of the State Department, where Yerevan was considered a "lost case" are most likely to come into play, then in all likelihood, they are already beginning to act, especially in the sense that the placement of "peacekeepers" in Karabakh region is not exactly beneficial to the Alliance.
On the other hand, rapprochement of NATO and Georgia will lead to a situation, where Russia will try to further strengthen its military positions in Armenia, and that is fraught with even greater problems for the northern ally of Armenia. The bare fact that under the agreement on joint Armenian-Russian air defense system the Armenian air defense was taken over by General Shamanov - the non-official military hero of Azerbaijan, who fought against the Armenian forces at the beginning of the war, caused even more discontent in the Armenian society, and the further military integration will only further alienate the Armenian society from
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