Wednesday, August 17, 2022
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
NEWSLETTER
ՀԱՅ
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
ՀԱՅ
No Result
View All Result

Sarkisian Concerned over Russian Arms Sales to Baku

by Contributor
July 10, 2014
in Armenia, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories
11
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

President Serzh Sarkisian at an official reception at the Congress of Argentina. July 7, 2014.

BUENOS AIRES (RFE/RL)—President Serzh Sarkisian has reportedly voiced dismay at continuing deliveries of Russian offensive weapons to Azerbaijan, while insisting that Russia remains committed to its military alliance with Armenia.

“It is a very painful subject and our people are worried that our strategic ally sells weapons to Azerbaijan,” Sarkisian told Argentina’s “Clarin” newspaper in an interview given during his official visit to Buenos Aires this week.

“But we are very confident that Armenia has the capability to defend its borders,” he said. “Despite the fact that Russia sells weapons [to Azerbaijan] I have no doubts Russia will honor its commitments to us in times of adversity.”

Sarkisian did not specify what kind of Russian military assistance Armenia expects to receive in case of a renewed war for Nagorno-Karabakh. He insisted instead that despite its decade-long massive military build-up Azerbaijan is still not strong enough to reconquer Karabakh and other Armenian-controlled territories surrounding it. “They spend a lot of money on armaments but that cannot guarantee victory,” he said.

Russia appears to have supplied more heavy weapons to Azerbaijan than Armenia, its main regional ally, in the past several years. Citing Russian government data, the UN Register of Conventional Arms revealed last month that Azerbaijan purchased 72 tanks, 34 armored vehicles, 456 artillery systems, 37 attack helicopters and 1,200 rockets and missile systems from Moscow in 2007-2013.

Russian and Azerbaijani officials have estimated the total volume of bilateral defense contracts signed since 2010 at nearly $4 billion. A Russian newspaper reported recently that the figure could rise to $5 billion by the end of this year.

Official Yerevan has so far been careful not to publicly criticize the Russian arms supplies. Some Armenian officials have implied that they are offset by Russian military aid to Armenia. By contrast, Armenian pundits increasingly accuse Moscow of acting against the letter and spirit of Russian-Armenian defense agreements.

Samvel Mkrtchian, a senior Armenian Foreign Ministry official dealing with arms control, admitted on Thursday that the Russians do not brief Yerevan on their military cooperation with Baku. “That doesn’t fit into the framework of our strategic partnership,” he told reporters. “Those dealings are done on a bilateral basis.”

Mkrtchian avoided criticizing Moscow’s stance, saying that “Armenia is acting in the same manner.” Asked whether that means Armenia can sell weapons to countries that are in conflict with Russia, he said, “You’re getting into theoretical issues that are not applicable in practice.”

Contributor

Contributor

Next Post

Presidents of Armenia, Uruguay Call for International Recognition of Genocide

Comments 11

  1. Armenian says:
    8 years ago

    It’s a never-ending game of weapons sales, and constantly tipping on the verge of all-out warfare. Armenia and Azerbaijan lose, Russia gains, therefore, the goal will be to keep this going on for as long as possible. The biggest loser of the three will be us, though.

    Reply
  2. ohannes boghossian says:
    8 years ago

    MR. President i will never ever trust Russia or Putin look Ukraine he sold
    hes on people in Eastern Ukraine in no time and he will sell Armenia in one minute
    the only people you can trust Armenians call your people home stop the corruption
    bring law and order make Armenian home of all the Armenians this is the only way we can
    seaive

    Reply
  3. Ararat says:
    8 years ago

    The fact that the ancient Armenian province of Artsakh, which should have been reunited with Armenia immediately after its liberation from the artificial state of Azerbaijan and it was not, and the fact that today Artsakh is not YET officially part of Armenia (a mere formality in my mind), I am inclined to believe the military alliance between Russia and Armenia excludes Artsakh. Therefore, the protection and the defense of Artsakh is solely the responsibility of Artsakh defense forces backed by Armenia. Unless Armenia is being supplied with weapons, comparable to what Russia is selling to the fabricated Azerbaijani state, and the fact that the head of the Armenian republic is expressing concern about this himself, what Russia is doing (at least on the surface) seems treasonous.

    This is not the first time the Russians have acted this way. The very same territory of Artsakh, along with the ancient Armenian province of Nakhichevan, was placed under Azerbaijani SSR administrative occupation by the Soviet Russians as part of the old Russian divide-and-rule policy in order to keep a piece of Armenian homeland under the occupation of our enemy, thus holding its majority Armenian population hostage to our enemy’s racist policies as a means to impose the Soviet totalitarian rule over Armenia proper unopposed.

    But the fact Russia today, in seven years’ time, has waged two wars to annex to Russia the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia and Crimea from Ukraine shows that, at least in principal, Russia has had the same aspirations as the Armenians and it is on the same side as the Armenian people because the Armenians liberated Artsakh, without yet annexing it to Armenia unfortunately, in many ways based on similar principals that inspired the Russians.

    Given all these facts, one cannot help but question the real intentions of Russia in regards to Armenia and Azerbaijan when, on the one hand, Russia seems to be principally in support of Armenia (because Russia itself did it to Georgia and Ukraine) WHILE, on the other hand, selling weapons to our enemy whom the Russians should be against in terms of their own principals. Well, I think Russia needs Armenia strategically but it also needs the artificial state of Azerbaijan economically. Azerbaijan has oil and money to spend which Russia badly needs and can use because, after all, the Soviet Union collapsed not because it was weak militarily but because it was weakened and practically went bankrupt economically.

    I think the relationship between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan is in many ways much like the relationship between the US, Israel and the Arab states. The United States sells weapons to the Arab states, the arch enemies of US ally Israel, so it can pay for the oil it needs to import and run the country and pay for its military machine, WHILE never failing to defend Israel against the very same Arab states when necessary.

    I think Armenia and Russia are and will always be dependent on each other, one militarily and the other strategically, and everything else that’s happening are methods used by Russia to maintain this relationship. In the meantime, Russia is cozying up to Azerbaijan in order to keep Armenia in check and to strengthen Russia economically while keeping Azerbaijan away from NATO schemes and sphere of influence.

    Reply
    • Armenian says:
      8 years ago

      Keep us in check from what? What aggressively anti-Russian activities has Armenia engaged in? Stop trying to rationalize their actions, they are against us more than they are for us, and they could care less about the strategic importance of Armenia because they’ve all but acquired us into their country entirely.

      Reply
      • Ararat says:
        8 years ago

        I am not rationalizing Russian actions at all. What I am saying is that every time Russia suspects Armenia is acting in a manner that it appears to them Armenia may be trying to distance herself from the Russian sphere of influence, such as getting closer to Russia’s Western adversaries, Russia does something to remind Armenia that her potential and seemingly anti-Russian stance will be costly by acting “friendly” towards our enemy next door. That is what I mean by Russia keeping Armenia in check. Don’t you think when the head of the Armenian republic himself, who is the one with closest contact with the Russians, expresses concern over Russian actions then we should pay attention and realize that is exactly what Russia is doing?

        I don’t think Russia is against us and I don’t think Russia is necessarily our friend either. Russia primarily acts for her own interests only and that is why Russia is often times inconsistent in her foreign policy whether you consider them as your friend or enemy.

        Reply
  4. ohannes boghossian says:
    8 years ago

    MR. President i will never ever trust Russia or Putin look Ukraine he sold
    hes on people in Eastern Ukraine in no time and he will sell Armenia in one minute
    the only people you can trust Armenians call your people home stop the corruption
    bring law and order make Armenian home of all the Armenians this is the only way we can
    survive there is no outer way MR.President

    Reply
  5. Hratch says:
    8 years ago

    Mother Russia is only concerned with her interests. She will throw Armenia under the bus at the first chance. Since the Ukraine crisis the rules of the game have changed. Russia wants complete hegemony over the southern Caucasus and the only way to do that is to get Azerbaijan on board. Russia will give anything to the Azeris including Karabagh. Since we have systematically surrender our sovereignty and security to the Russians, they have complete control of our destiny. They are the puppeteer and we the marionette.

    Reply
  6. GB says:
    8 years ago

    If a war break up between Armenia and Axerbaijan, for sure Russia will lose all her influence in South Caucasus, because Armenia will become like Georgia as an EU candidate!

    Reply
  7. Areg says:
    8 years ago

    Every one who sells arms to Turkey and Azerbaijan is guilty of Genocide.

    Reply
  8. Armenian says:
    8 years ago

    These sorts of issues are more common among undemocratic nations with relatively uneducated populations who yield nothing to the other, and are quicker to resort to destructive and obstructive means of problem-solving than peaceful conflict resolution. These are two key characteristics that regimes like Aliyev and Sarkissyan need in order to maintain power.

    Of course, this applies more to Azerbaijan than it does to Armenia, but we’re not much more democratic or freer than they are. Problems like these are a thing of the past in Europe, where democracy has flourished and the masses are more empowered and vested in their governments’ and countries’ future. Armenia and Azerbaijan need democracy, and not more of the same KGB style leadership, authoritarian and autocratic leadership which only creates more hysteria, hatred, xenophobia and peril for both peoples and creates a huge market for weapons sales for Russia, who is exploiting this conflict to maximize its gains.

    Imagine if Azerbaijan were an actual democracy– it would be so much easier to deal with it than with the vile, disgusting and often times inhumane state it is now.

    Reply
  9. Armenian christian says:
    8 years ago

    They had more toys then we did last time to…heck most of the karabkh tanks were confiscated from Azeris…this time will be no different…they are foreigners on our lands…soon greater armenia will be unifed

    Reply

Leave a Reply to ohannes boghossian Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Chamlian Kicks Off New School Year

Chamlian Kicks Off New School Year

2 hours ago
Search Continues for Missing People as Armenia Mourns Victims of Market Explosion

Search Continues for Missing People as Armenia Mourns Victims of Market Explosion

3 hours ago

Connect with us

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

Accessibility

Accessibility modes

Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.

Online Dictionary

    Readable Experience

    Content Scaling
    Default
    Text Magnifier
    Readable Font
    Dyslexia Friendly
    Highlight Titles
    Highlight Links
    Font Sizing
    Default
    Line Height
    Default
    Letter Spacing
    Default
    Left Aligned
    Center Aligned
    Right Aligned

    Visually Pleasing Experience

    Dark Contrast
    Light Contrast
    Monochrome
    High Contrast
    High Saturation
    Low Saturation
    Adjust Text Colors
    Adjust Title Colors
    Adjust Background Colors

    Easy Orientation

    Mute Sounds
    Hide Images
    Virtual Keyboard
    Reading Guide
    Stop Animations
    Reading Mask
    Highlight Hover
    Highlight Focus
    Big Dark Cursor
    Big Light Cursor
    Navigation Keys

    Asbarez.com Accessibility Statement

    Accessibility Statement

    • www.asbarez.com
    • August 17, 2022

    Compliance status

    We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

    To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

    This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

    Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

    If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email

    Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

    Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:

    1. Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.

      These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

    2. Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it.

      Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Disability profiles supported in our website

    • Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
    • Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
    • Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
    • ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
    • Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
    • Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

    1. Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
    2. Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.
    3. Animations – epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
    4. Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
    5. Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
    6. Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
    7. Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

    Browser and assistive technology compatibility

    We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.

    Notes, comments, and feedback

    Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to