Russia-Armenia defense pact has a lot of problems: Richard Giragosian

There are a series of problems related to the prolonged agreement between Russia and Armenia regulating the presence of a Russian military base in Armenia's second-largest town of Gyumri, Head of Armenian Centre for National and International Studies Richard Giragosian said in an interview with local Armenian daily Jamanak (Times).

According to him this new agreement is absolutely trashy and one-sided for Armenia. Nor is it clear what has made Armenia's ruling authorities to strike such a long-run deal receiving so little in return.

"Eventually, that is the only military base beyond Russia's borders when the host is taking care of all the expenses of the military base. For example, even Kyrgyzstan is having millions in income from Moscow in return for the presence of the Russian military base," Mr Giragosian was reported as saying.

In his words in an effort to please Armenia in terms of military security Russia is implementing a colonial policy towards it by proposing some distorted and unclear assistance in return for Armenia's aspiration to extend the duration of the defense pact.

"Even Russian Foreign Minister [Sergei Lavrov] confirmed in a televised interview in Yerevan that the mission and the mandate of the Russian military base will not be changed in case of some serious, potential war. Thus, that agreement attests to deep-rooted problems that must compulsorily be edited in the context of the Armenian-Russian relations to make the more equal and even to bring them to an respectful level."