Wednesday, June 29 2016 07:49

Ratification of the Armenian-Russian agreement of the Joint Air Defense in the Caucasus region of collective security will be another backtrack that will affect Armenia's independence, Zaruhi Postanjyan, the head of the Heritage opposition party faction, said in the parliament on June 29. 

In her words, by ratifying this agreement after the April war, the authorities of Armenia proved that the country is no longer independent. "If we were independent, we would have been supplied the arms under theUS$200 million agreement before ratifying that agreement. In fact, we deal with papers, the agreements have been made by 80% and arms supply by 0%. It is not clear when these documents will materialize and turn into arms," she said.

Postanjyan said the authorities should have not only settled the problem with the arms supply, but also brought Azerbaijan accountable for the April aggression and use of banned weapons.  "It is clear that our leadership was invited to Moscow and forced to sign this document. We have turned into a satellite of Russia that does not care for our security," she said. Postanjyan said she does not trust either CSTO or Eurasian Economic Union the members of which are Azerbaijan's allies. "What did CSTO do during the April war?  Who will let you use fighter jets or any other weaponry?" In addition, the oppositionist is sure that the EEU has become a stalemate for Armenia economically, and the agreement on Joint Air Defense will become a political stalemate. 

To recall, on October 23, 2015, the Russian Government approved the agreement on creation of a joint air defense system with Armenia in the Caucasus region of collective security. The document was submitted for the Russian President's ratification. The Russian President announced the creation of the air defense system in November 2013. On November 11, Russia's President Vladimir Putin ordered to sign agreement between Russia and Armenia on creating joint air defense system with Armenia in the Caucasus region of collective security. On December 23, 2015, Armenia's Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu signed an agreement on creation of a joint air defense system with Armenia in the Caucasus region of collective security. Some Armenian military experts think the joint air defense system is already operating, given the presence of the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri, Russian S-300 systems and MiG-29 planes, as well as the joint command system in the North Caucasus.