Announcement

Collapse

Forum Rules (Everyone Must Read!!!)

1] What you CAN NOT post.

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this forum to post any material which is:
- abusive
- vulgar
- hateful
- harassing
- personal attacks
- obscene

You also may not:
- post images that are too large (max is 500*500px)
- post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or cited properly.
- post in UPPER CASE, which is considered yelling
- post messages which insult the Armenians, Armenian culture, traditions, etc
- post racist or other intentionally insensitive material that insults or attacks another culture (including Turks)

The Ankap thread is excluded from the strict rules because that place is more relaxed and you can vent and engage in light insults and humor. Notice it's not a blank ticket, but just a place to vent. If you go into the Ankap thread, you enter at your own risk of being clowned on.
What you PROBABLY SHOULD NOT post...
Do not post information that you will regret putting out in public. This site comes up on Google, is cached, and all of that, so be aware of that as you post. Do not ask the staff to go through and delete things that you regret making available on the web for all to see because we will not do it. Think before you post!


2] Use descriptive subject lines & research your post. This means use the SEARCH.

This reduces the chances of double-posting and it also makes it easier for people to see what they do/don't want to read. Using the search function will identify existing threads on the topic so we do not have multiple threads on the same topic.

3] Keep the focus.

Each forum has a focus on a certain topic. Questions outside the scope of a certain forum will either be moved to the appropriate forum, closed, or simply be deleted. Please post your topic in the most appropriate forum. Users that keep doing this will be warned, then banned.

4] Behave as you would in a public location.

This forum is no different than a public place. Behave yourself and act like a decent human being (i.e. be respectful). If you're unable to do so, you're not welcome here and will be made to leave.

5] Respect the authority of moderators/admins.

Public discussions of moderator/admin actions are not allowed on the forum. It is also prohibited to protest moderator actions in titles, avatars, and signatures. If you don't like something that a moderator did, PM or email the moderator and try your best to resolve the problem or difference in private.

6] Promotion of sites or products is not permitted.

Advertisements are not allowed in this venue. No blatant advertising or solicitations of or for business is prohibited.
This includes, but not limited to, personal resumes and links to products or
services with which the poster is affiliated, whether or not a fee is charged
for the product or service. Spamming, in which a user posts the same message repeatedly, is also prohibited.

7] We retain the right to remove any posts and/or Members for any reason, without prior notice.


- PLEASE READ -

Members are welcome to read posts and though we encourage your active participation in the forum, it is not required. If you do participate by posting, however, we expect that on the whole you contribute something to the forum. This means that the bulk of your posts should not be in "fun" threads (e.g. Ankap, Keep & Kill, This or That, etc.). Further, while occasionally it is appropriate to simply voice your agreement or approval, not all of your posts should be of this variety: "LOL Member213!" "I agree."
If it is evident that a member is simply posting for the sake of posting, they will be removed.


8] These Rules & Guidelines may be amended at any time. (last update September 17, 2009)

If you believe an individual is repeatedly breaking the rules, please report to admin/moderator.
See more
See less

The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

    Bush Called Russia’s President a Smart Guy



    President George W. Bush looked into the eyes of Russia’s new president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, on Monday and saw, he said, “a smart guy.” The two presidents spent more than an hour together here in their first face-to-face meeting since Mr. Medvedev succeeded Vladimir V. Putin. Afterward, they said they had agreed on the need for Iran and North Korea to abandon their nuclear ambitions, but did not bridge their differences on Mr. Bush’s proposal to build a missile defense system in Eastern Europe. “I found him to be a smart guy who understood the issues very well,” Mr. Bush said. The exchange brought to mind Mr. Bush’s first meeting with Mr. Putin, at Brdo Castle in Slovenia in June 2001, when Mr. Bush famously said he had “looked the man in the eye” and “was able to get a sense of his soul.” Given Mr. Medvedev’s extraordinarily close relationship with Mr. Putin, who remains Russia’s prime minister, it was only natural for Mr. Bush to face questions about what he saw when he looked at his new Russian counterpart. (No, he did not say he saw Mr. Putin’s soul.) “You know,” Mr. Bush said, “I’m not going to sit here and psychoanalyze the man, but I will tell you that he’s very comfortable, he’s confident, and that I believe that when he tells me something, he means it.” The two men are here, on the lush and mountainous northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, for a gathering of leaders of industrialized nations, the so-called Group of 8 Summit. This is Mr. Medvedev’s first appearance at the Group of 8; Mr. Bush, who has attended seven such meetings, is here for his last. The two had met before, when Mr. Medvedev was a top adviser to Mr. Putin. On Monday, they seemed somewhat familiar; Mr. Medvedev repeatedly referred to Mr. Bush, who celebrated his 62nd birthday here on Sunday, as George, as in: “I congratulated George on his birthday, which is also a very important thing, irrespective of summits out there — irrespective of our will, these dates occur in our life.” To which Mr. Bush succinctly replied: “Everybody has a birthday.”

    Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/wo...8medvedev.html

    Rice starts Europe tour with harsh words for Russia


    US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Prague Tuesday to sign a missile defence deal opposed by Moscow and to warn Russia to stop allegedly stoking separatist tensions in Georgia. Beginning a three-country European tour that will also take her to Georgia, Rice arrived to a backdrop of protesters who objected to the Czech government's decision to accept the siting of the US anti-missile radar system there. "We have said both Georgia and Russia need to avoid provocative behaviour but frankly some of the things the Russians did over the last couple of months added to tension in the region," Rice said, citing Russia's failure to consult with Georgia over a presidential order offering Abkhazia direct relations with Russia. "Georgia is an independent state. It has to be treated like one," she added.

    Latent tensions between Tbilisi and Moscow over the separatist regions of both Abkhazia and South Ossetia have flared up over the last week. "I want to make very clear that the US commitment to Georgia's territorial integrity is strong," the Secretary of State said. Rice is due in Georgia late Wednesday as part of her three-country mini-tour, which will also take in Bulgaria. In Tblisi, she will renew US support for Georgia's bid for NATO membership -- another bone of contention with Moscow -- and try to calm tensions over Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia regularly accuses Russia of seeking to annex South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and derail its efforts to join the NATO military alliance. Russia in turn accuses Tbilisi of preparing to take back the breakaway regions by force. Rice said she would not be visiting Poland, where the US wants to install missile interceptors. The two countries have been unable to agree terms for the deal after 14 months of talks. "There are remaining issues but the United States has made a very generous offer" to the Poles who want to improve their air defences, Rice said.

    In Prague however, she will sign the agreement over siting a US missile defence radar system in the former Soviet-bloc country, a development that Moscow has fiercely opposed. The United States wants to deploy the shield in the central European nations by 2011-2013 to ward off potential attacks by so-called "rogue" states such as Iran. Russia has denounced the plan as a threat to its own security. NATO endorsed the US plan at its April summit in the Romanian capital Bucharest. Concerning Russian anxiety about the anti-missile system in what used to be its backyard, Rice said Tuesday: "We want the system to be transparent to the Russians." The US has in the past suggested that Russian inspectors could visit the anti-missile sites as long as Prague and Warsaw agreed.

    Prague has objected to a permanent Russian presence for monitoring the radar's operations, which is what Moscow is seeking. In Prague, protestors from Greenpeace unrolled a massive image of a target across the city's skyline Tuesday ahead Rice's arrival. "Do not make a target of us," proclaimed the banner at Letna hill overlooking the Czech capital at the foot of a giant metronome erected by the artist Vratislav Novak in 1991 following the collapse of the communist regime. Anti-rader actions have stepped up in recent months with a hunger strike by anti-base activists, occupation of the military site earmarked for the radar by Greenpeace members and demonstrations. Polls regularly show around two-thirds of Czech opposed to hosting the US radar. A survey by the CVVM agency published this month showed 68 percent opposed to the US radar.

    Source: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5...GTEoebK4-fLfKQ

    Britain must get tougher with Russia, warn Conservatives


    Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, said that ministers cannot ignore growing signs of Russian hostility, including its support for espionage and its territorial ambitions. He spoke after tense talks between Gordon Brown and the new Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, and fresh claims about Russian collusion in a London murder. Mr Brown and Mr Medvedev had their first meeting at the G8 summit in Japan this week, but failed to solve the key issues or to dispel the image of two countries whose diplomatic relations are sub-zero. Even as they met, British security officials confirmed that they believe that the killers of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident poisoned in London last year, were operating with the support of parts of the Russian regime. That sparked a sharp reply from Russian officials. A senior aide to Mr Medvedev accused British officials of trying to undermine the relationship with Russia. The aide said: "We are working on raising British-Russian relations out of a certain cul-de-sac. And as for various unattributed leaks, they demonstrate that unfortunately in Great Britain not everyone has such a constructive approach as we felt the Prime Minister himself has." Louise Christian, solicitor for Mr Litvinenko's widow, Marina, later issued a statement calling on the British government to pursue Russia to the International Court of Justice. And Mrs Litvinenko herself said she was "proud of being British" and accused the Kremlin of orchestrating a campaign of harassment against British interests in Russia to block the extradition to Britain of Andrei Luguvoi, whom the UK accuses of Mr Litvinenko's murder. Dr Fox said the Litvinenko case was just one of several examples of unacceptable Russian behaviour. He said: "We all want to see improved relations with Russia, but we cannot overlook the Litvenenko murder, the $189 billion rearmament programme or the attempted annexation of large tracts of the Arctic. "Ultimately, we will have to judge Russia on its actions, not its rhetoric."

    Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...ervatives.html
    Մեր ժողովուրդն արանց հայրենասիրութեան այն է, ինչ որ մի մարմին' առանց հոգու:

    Նժդեհ


    Please visit me at my Heralding the Rise of Russia blog: http://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/

    Comment


    • Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

      Russia starts large-scale naval exercise in the Pacific



      Over 20 combat and auxiliary ships from Russia's Pacific Fleet started on Tuesday a large-scale naval exercise in the Sea of Japan, which includes live firing drills, a fleet spokesman said. "The exercise is part of the summer combat training program," Captain 1st Rank Roman Martov said. "More than 20 combat and auxiliary ships will participate in about 20 individual and group drills." The core of the naval task force participating in the exercise consists of the Varyag, a Russian Slava-class missile cruiser dubbed 'the killer of aircraft carriers,' the Bystry, a Sovremenny class destroyer, and a group of missile boats. According to the exercise scenario, the Russian naval task force and shore-based naval aircraft are tasked with the search and destruction of an 'aggressor force' attempting to establish a beachhead on the Russian coast. The ships will conduct a series of live firing drills against ground, surface, and air targets. During the exercise, the Varyag and the Bystry will test-fire new surface-to-air missiles at a target drone.

      Source: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080708/113478677.html

      Russian warships to patrol Arctic again


      Russia announced Monday that it is sending warships to patrol Arctic waters for the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union — the latest move to increase the country's global military presence. Patrols by the Northern Fleet's Severomorsk submarine destroyer and Marshal Ustinov missile cruiser will begin Thursday, Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said. Russia began sending aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean Sea in December and resumed long-range bomber patrols in August. "We have been talking for a long time about widening our activity in the Arctic," Dygalo said. "There is nothing aggressive in it — it is in the interests of security." Former President Vladimir Putin expanded Russian military patrols and Dmitry Medvedev, who succeeded Putin in May, appears to be maintaining that course. Moscow-based military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said security was not Russia's primary motivation in sending the Navy ships to the Arctic. "This is flag-waving and that's basically it," Felgenhauer said. "Sending a couple of patrol boats to the Arctic won't change anything." Russia has also been moving to stake its claim to resources that are increasingly accessible as global warming melts Arctic ice. Moscow recently sent an expedition to plant a Russian flag on the seabed under the North Pole and said research indicates a massive underwater mountain range in the area, which is believed to contain huge oil and gas reserves, is part of Russia's continental shelf. And Russia hopes it can increase access for fishermen who are blocked from seas around the island of Spitsbergen, where Norway claims exclusive rights. Russia does not recognize the 200-mile economic zone delineated by a 1982 U.N. treaty. Dygalo said protecting Russian fisherman was one of the aims of the new Arctic patrols.

      Source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j...vFlAwD91TNGB80
      Մեր ժողովուրդն արանց հայրենասիրութեան այն է, ինչ որ մի մարմին' առանց հոգու:

      Նժդեհ


      Please visit me at my Heralding the Rise of Russia blog: http://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/

      Comment


      • Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

        Russia concerned over U.S.-Ukraine Black Sea military exercises




        Ukrainians give NATO war games a cold reception: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le-8bX_cUwQ

        Russia's Foreign Ministry voiced on Friday its concerns over the U.S.-Ukrainian Sea Breeze naval exercises currently underway in the Black Sea. "The nature of the exercises, and attempts to present them as anti-Russian, as well as the involvement of countries from outside the region cannot but provoke certain questions and certain concerns. Why was the Black Sea basin chosen for the drills?" the ministry said on its website, describing the purpose of the exercises as "questionable." The Russian ministry said Black Sea countries can independently, without outside interference, solve Black Sea security and stability issues. The ministry also said that the current military exercises had been met by protests from the local population, and that the demonstrations reflected Ukrainian public opinion in relation to the current Ukrainian administration's policy of seeking membership of NATO. The statement also said that this policy did nothing to improve relations with Moscow. Sea Breeze 2008, a NATO military exercise, began on Monday in Ukraine's Odessa, Crimea and Black Sea coastal regions. Two years ago, the Sea Breeze 2006 exercise in the Crimea was disrupted by protests. Ukraine and the United States are joined by 15 other countries for this year's exercises, which are due to end on July 26. Fifteen Ukrainian ships, four aircraft, 10 helicopters, and 500 service personnel are involved in the military exercises. Ukraine's parliament, the Supreme Rada, approved NATO participation in the exercises in April. In total, more than 1,000 NATO troops, 15 ships, two submarines, and eight aircraft are expected to take part. In May and June, several Ukrainian left-wing politicians announced that they would organize mass protests to disrupt the drills. Last Thursday, some 20 opposition activists set up an encampment in western Crimea, intending to picket the exercise. A branch of the Ukrainian Communist Party in Donetsk said over 1,000 people took part in anti-NATO rallies in the Donetsk Region in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian Progressive Socialist Party said on Wednesday that authorities in Ukraine's Odessa region had banned broadcasts by Russian television channels over their coverage of the Sea Breeze 2008 exercise and the accompanying protests. Ukraine's pro-Western leadership has been pursuing NATO membership since 2004, when President Viktor Yushchenko came to power. Ukraine failed to secure a place in the NATO Membership Action Plan, a key step toward joining the alliance, at a NATO summit in April, but was told the decision would be reviewed in December. A poll conducted in April by the FOM-Ukraina pollster indicated that a majority of Ukrainians oppose NATO membership.

        Source: http://en.rian.ru/world/20080718/114389691.html
        Մեր ժողովուրդն արանց հայրենասիրութեան այն է, ինչ որ մի մարմին' առանց հոգու:

        Նժդեհ


        Please visit me at my Heralding the Rise of Russia blog: http://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/

        Comment


        • Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

          Vladimir Stupishin



          Dr. Vladimir Stupishin (Ph.D. in History, Ph.D. in Law) is the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia. Dr. V. Stupishin is a long-time supporter of self-determination rights of the people of Nagorno - Karabakh Republic. He is also a resolute advocate for a strategic alliance between Armenia and Russia.

          During the period of 1992-1994, Dr. V. Stupishin was the first Russian Ambassador to then newly independent Republic of Armenia. In November, 1992 he was sent to Armenia to establish a permanent Russian embassy in Yerevan. Those were most difficult days for Armenia, which was struggling to survive in the blockade inflicted by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

          While leaving Armenia to return to Russia in 1994 Dr. Stupishin promised not to forget the people of Armenia and Karabakh. "I will not betray you, no matter what," he said then.

          That was not just a lip service. Now retired from the diplomatic service, Vladimir Stupishin continues his diplomatic efforts in media, actively protecting the natural rights of any nation for self-determination up to the creation of an independent state.

          In September 1997 he visited Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) again as an independent observer of local presidential elections.

          Dr. V. Stupishin was awarded a medal of "Gratitude" for his valuable services to NKR, including scientific substantiation of the self-determination rights of the Karabakh people, for his valuable contribution in publicizing the Artsakh issue and demanding its just resolution.

          Recently Dr. Stupishin published his memoirs about the time he was the Russian Ambassador in Armenia with lots of insider information on the political situation in Armenia, armenian-azerbaijani conflict and Karabakh war in the early 1990s.

          Translation: Karen Vrtanesyan
          Editor: Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan

          To read the articles written by Vladimir Stupishin click on the following link:

          http://www.armenianhouse.org/stupish...pishin-en.html
          Last edited by Lernakan; 07-18-2008, 11:36 PM.

          Comment


          • Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations



            37 PER CENT OF RUSSIANS SAY TURKEY EXERCISED POLITICAL PROGRAM OF EXTERMINATION OF ARMENIANS

            PanARMENIAN.Net
            11.07.2008 17:50 GMT+04:00

            The Yuri Levada Analytical Centre has conducted a social survey which
            showed that 37 per cent of Russians are convinced that the Ottoman
            Empire exercised a political program of extermination of Armenians.

            According to 13 per cent of the respondents, the information about
            the Armenian Genocide is exaggerated. 33 per cent have never heard
            of the Genocide.


            Levada experts also fixed that nationalistic attitude of mind tends to
            gain weight in Russia. In 2006, asked "whether hatred for foreigners
            has developed," 47 out of 100 respondents said "yes." In 2007, there
            were 55 out of 100 to confirm the fact.

            50 per cent of Russians support the "Russia for Russians" ideology. 26
            per cent eye the tendency as "demonstration of fascism."

            Moscow-based sociologists note that Russians are in sympathy with
            only 11 per cent of Caucasus and Asia-natives.


            As to nations, Russians strongly dislike Gypsies, Chechens and
            Azeris. 43 per cent hate Gypsies, 39 per cent hate Chechens and 2
            per cent hate Azeris.

            According to the survey, Russians eye Belarus, Kazakhstan, Germany,
            China and Armenia as friendly countries.

            It's worth noting that in 2005 only 9 per cent of Russians believed
            Armenia to be a friendly state. In autumn 2007, the figure reached
            15 per cent, IA Regnum reports.

            Comment


            • Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations



              EXPERT: I DO NOT RULE OUT LAVROV WAS INSTRUCTED TO HELP NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

              PanARMENIAN.Net
              11.07.2008 18:19 GMT+04:00

              Turkey is a very convenient country for transit of hydrocarbons from
              Asia to Europe, Yerevan State University professor David Hovhannisyan
              said during "Armenia in the Near East: infrastructure globalization"
              round table discussion held in Caucasus Institute today.

              "The Russian-Turkish relations are improving against tensions between
              Turkey and the U.S. Sergei Lavrov's recent visit to Ankara was
              conditioned by agreements on transit of Russian gas through Turkey
              to Europe. I do not rule out that Lavrov was also instructed to help
              normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. It's remarkable
              that the visit was held immediately after Serzh Sargsyan announced in
              Moscow his intention to invite Gul to Yerevan for a qualifying match
              of the 2010 FIFA World Cup due in the Armenian capital on September 6.

              "The time has come for a fresh effort to break this deadlock, a
              situation that helps no one and hurts many. As president of Armenia,
              I take this opportunity to propose a fresh start - a new phase of
              dialogue with the government and people of Turkey, with the goal of
              normalizing relations and opening our common border," Sargsyan said
              in an opinion piece published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal.

              Comment


              • Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

                An interesting analysis of the early weeks of Medvedev's rule and the disappointment the West has suffered. The following article is from IRAS, an Iranian research centre on the Caucasus, Russia, Central Asia and Iran.

                Who is Mr. Medvedev?


                Although it has been only a bit more than a month since the newly-elected Russian President has taken office, he is being criticized by some Russian and foreign analysts. A prominent US historian specializing in Russian history, Richard Pipes, expressed his disappointment at the speech Dmitry Medvedev delivered at the 12th International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg on June 7, calling it ‘symbolic amid increasing anti-American sentiments in Russia and absurd overestimation of the Russian economic miracle’. Such statements resulted from a handful of stereotypes about Russia, which have formed in the US over the past 25 years. The West yet failed to change its approach towards cooperation with Russia.





                Here are five most popular stereotypes:

                1) The situation with the ruling circles in Russia is very unstable. It`s kind of a political volcano ready to eject every moment.

                2) It happened so because the Russian elite, fearing to lose power and prerogatives, opposes Russia`s integration in the West, while ‘ordinary people', especially young ones, are dreaming of a Western way of life. In other words, Russia is on the brink of a colored revolution.

                3) The West together with its allies and supporters in Russia may rely on cooperation with the so-called "Kremlin liberals", who like Deep Purple and have enough political power.

                4) Russia has nothing to do but join with the West as it is the only source of various moral (ideas of freedom, democracy, human rights, mass culture, e.t.c) and material (credits and technologies) values. As if people could enjoy these values only in the US and nowhere else. That is why, they believe, Russia and US can face no serious problems in cooperation. And if any occur, they call it "provocation from Russian nationalists and KGB-officers".

                5) The major Western mistake in terms of cooperation with Russia is that they underestimate their own might and are unaware of all the problems Russia is facing today. Usually, the scheme is the following: the West launches tough talks with Moscow, demanding concessions. If Moscow ignores them, they begin an information war against Russia. In case Moscow agrees on a compromise, they are satisfied but soon demand new, even more serious concessions- until they get necessary results.

                Of course, Russia also had some stereotypes about the West, which now can raise only a smile. But we must admit that under Gorbachyov and Yeltsin members of the Russian political elite behaved in accordance with those stereotypes.

                It is remarkable, that only Moscow was expected to make concessions to the "Euro-Atlantic community". Indeed, the Soviet Union and then Russia used to make significant unilateral concessions in disarmament, economy and in many other spheres. At the same time, Moscow did not ask the West of any help.

                As a result of this, in the US and Europe there appeared a whole generation of politicians, public figures and journalists who treated the end of the Cold War as a triumph of the civilized West over barbarian Russia. And for a winner it would be below dignity to make any concessions to a beaten rival.

                They expected (and some of them yet have not changed their minds) that the third Russian president will unite Kremlin "liberals" to fight against "siloviki" and thus will revive a tradition of non-resistance to the West. They hope that because of his young age, Dmitry Medvedev could begin a pro-western political course.

                However, recent opinion polls show that middle-aged Russians, not former members of the Communist Party, make up the most active anti-western part of the population. A prominent Russian expert Pechatnov says: "I think such attitude towards America among young Russians resulted from a range of social and psychological factors, including a sharpened sense of national pride and the lack of "guilt for the sins of the fathers". It is also important that Russians have a definite perception of modern America thanks to the mass media and wide-spread negative attitude to the U.S policies worldwide. This generation is also more pragmatic and is used to judge partnership in "What have you done for me lately?" manner. And many of them think Medvedev is one of them.

                Actually, America did nothing special to Moscow to have the right to demand any concessions and acts of goodwill.

                Mikhail Gorbachyov could bargain over concessions to Angola, Cambodia, Nicaragua and Iraq- the countries unable to present any threat to Soviet security. Today Russia`s President has to bargain over Ukraine` and Georgia`s NATO membership, that means- to prevent the appearance of NATO tanks in the Smolensk regions and few kilometers outside Sochi. As an act of goodwill, Gorbachyov announced the withdrawal of tanks from the Eastern Europe in December 1988. Now Moscow has to resist NATO demands to withdraw Russian peacekeeping contingent from Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transdniester region, where Russians make up the majority of population.

                Twenty years ago in Russia it was almost impossible to express opinion which was different from the official one. Today the Internet and satellite TV have finally dispelled the myth of the lack of freedom of press in Russia. "We are living in the absolutely transparent information society. And today we can get all necessary information faster than it was 10-12 years ago, when people could learn the news only from TV or radio reporting", Dmitry Medvedev said. He also added that today people can find plenty of sources to learn what the opposition thinks about the ongoing political and economical processes in Russia.

                Finally, Moscow needs no more western help for another "catastroyka". Russia has been crediting US economy buying US treasury obligations and security papers. Isn`t this enough to talk in a straightforward manner like Me. Medvedev did at the forum in Saint Petersburg? He said: "The failure to properly assess risk by the largest financial corporations, combined with the aggressive financial policies of the world's largest economy, have led not only to losses for those corporations but unfortunately have impoverished the majority of people on the planet. Medvedev also said the gap between the United States' leading role in the global economic system and its real abilities was another "key" reason for the crisis. Well, no matter what Richard Pipes would say to this, but such remarks sound logic.

                The West is not satisfied with the first weeks of Medvedev`s rule as he has demonstrated no determination to implement brand new political projects. As a first step of his foreign policy, Medvedev attempted to begin an equal dialogue with the West without promising any unilateral concessions. Speaking in Berlin on June 5, he suggested that Russia, EU and North America established a really equal cooperation. The European Security Treaty could become the first important step towards productive cooperation.

                Unfortunately, the initiative yet did not receive approval. The problem is that equal dialogue is not the thing Russia's partners overseas are dreaming of. They want the Kremlin to impose a U.S-like democracy all over Russia. Is it necessary to explain that it will never happen?



                Source: http://www.iras.ir/English/Default_view.asp?@=10963

                Comment


                • Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

                  Originally posted by Lucin View Post
                  An interesting analysis of the early weeks of Medvedev's rule and the disappointment the West has suffered. The following article is from IRAS, an Iranian research centre on the Caucasus, Russia, Central Asia and Iran.

                  Who is Mr. Medvedev?


                  Although it has been only a bit more than a month since the newly-elected Russian President has taken office, he is being criticized by some Russian and foreign analysts. A prominent US historian specializing in Russian history, Richard Pipes, expressed his disappointment at the speech Dmitry Medvedev delivered at the 12th International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg on June 7, calling it ‘symbolic amid increasing anti-American sentiments in Russia and absurd overestimation of the Russian economic miracle’. Such statements resulted from a handful of stereotypes about Russia, which have formed in the US over the past 25 years. The West yet failed to change its approach towards cooperation with Russia.


                  Here are five most popular stereotypes:

                  ....

                  Source: http://www.iras.ir/English/Default_view.asp?@=10963
                  Thank you for the article, Lucin.
                  Here's the latest:

                  Iran-Russia Cooperation To Continue - Dmitry Medvedev


                  July 18, 2008 21:50
                  Friday

                  Dmitry Medvedev had a telephone conversation with President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

                  During the discussion of topical, current issues of Russian-Iranian relations, the heads of state expressed their satisfaction with the high level of cooperation between their countries, particularly the bilateral contacts in the economic, political and other spheres. Both sides expressed their intention to work to ensure the progressive development of multifaceted ties between Russia and Iran, including constructive cooperation in international affairs.

                  The President of Russia reasserted his firm stand in favour of resolving the problems involved in Iran's nuclear programme by political and diplomatic means.

                  In this regard, he welcomed the readiness of the Iranian side to negotiate a comprehensive agreement, and hoped that the meeting tomorrow between Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili and [High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU] Javier Solana, along with other representatives of the group of six, will facilitate a substantive and constructive dialogue.

                  The President of Russia also called on the Iranian side to cooperate fully with the IAEA to clarify all outstanding issues regarding Iran's nuclear programme.

                  Source -- http://kremlin.ru/eng/sdocs/news.shtml#204317




                  Putin visit will lead to leap in Iran-Russia relations: expert

                  Tehran Times
                  TEHRAN -- Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to Iran will lead to an important leap in Tehran-Moscow relations, and at this juncture, when the West is making the utmost efforts to isolate Iran, it is even more important, Central Asia expert Hossein Ahmadi said here on Sunday.
                  Putin is the first Kremlin chief to visit Iran since Josef Stalin went in 1943.





                  "Iranians have a fine image from Russians in mind" - Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei

                  http://www.leader.ir/langs/EN/index.php?p=news&id=3693


                  All I can say is that I am glad that our great countries are friends.

                  Comment


                  • Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

                    Russia Admits Georgian Fly-Over as Rice Visits Region




                    Georgian ambassador leaves Moscow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKDyZGJL5o

                    Russian officials have admitted that they ordered the air force to fly over Georgia's rebel region of South Ossetia in a maneuver aimed "to cool hot heads in Tbilisi." The US' top diplomat didn't like to hear it. The statement came as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Tbilisi on Thursday affirmed US support for Georgia's pro-Western leadership in its increasingly rancorous relations with Moscow. Rice, meeting with US-educated President Mikheil Saakashvili, reprimanded Russian backing of Georgia's breakaway provinces with escalating conflict in the Caucasus region. Russia "needs to be a part of resolving the problem and solving the problem and not contributing to it," Rice was quoted by news agency RIA-Novosti as saying. "I have said it to the Russians publicly. I have said it privately." Russia charged that the overflight, a day before Rice's arrival in Tbilisi, was needed to prevent an attack by Georgia after its soldiers were briefly detained in South Ossetia. "There was an urgent need to undertake tangible measures in order to prevent bloodshed," the foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday. "Jets of the Russian air forces conducted a brief fly-over," the ministry said. "This move cooled hot heads in Tbilisi and helped to prevent forceful development of the scenario, which was more than real."

                    US mediation

                    Rice on Thursday, July 10, promised US mediation in promoting a peace process and called for an end to "violence" in Georgia's rebel regions. Potential conflict between Tbilisi and its Russian-backed separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia has set off alarm bells in Washington, which counts Georgia as a key ally in the region. A series of bombings that killed four people and injured dozens last week gave a grim edge to recent wranglings between Tbilisi and Moscow. "We give a high priority to the peaceful settlement of conflicts in Georgia," Rice said on Wednesday, promising US mediation in resolving the frozen conflict. But heavy warnings from Russia and sharp sallies by Rice as she began her visit Wednesday belied a longstanding battle for influence in the strategic region, to which Georgia's separatist regions threaten to become a proxy. "I'm going to visit a friend and I don't expect much comment about the United States going to visit a friend," she shot back in response to Moscow's criticism of US support for Saakashvili.

                    Backing for Georgia's NATO bid

                    Rice also clearly reaffirmed US backing for Georgia's bid to join NATO, a proposal that many see as having sparked the recent escalations in the Caucasus region as Russia manifests its objections to any eastward enlargement of the alliance. Russia strengthened diplomatic ties with rebel provinces South Ossetia and Abkhazia, where most residents have been offered citizenship, following NATO's promise to remain open to Georgia's candidacy. Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh on Thursday paid a not-uncommon visit to Moscow to discuss setting up bilateral government ties with Moscow, Georgian news agencies reported. Tbilisi has protested such steps as a de facto annexation of its territory.

                    Source: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,...475955,00.html

                    Georgia says will down Russian jets




                    Georgia's breakaway republics could join Russia-Belarus union: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYOA31KDE1s

                    A Georgian official warned Russia on Friday that it will have to "collect the shattered fragments" of its planes if they intrude on Georgian airspace again. Russia has confirmed that four of its planes circled over the Georgian breakaway province of South Ossetia late Wednesday for about 40 minutes, and said the mission was ordered to head off a possible "invasion" of the region by Georgian troops. Georgia, which has accused Russia of aiming to annex the province, said the mission was an illegal invasion of Georgian airspace. Both South Ossetia and another province, Abkhazia, have been outside the Georgian government's control since the end of separatist wars in the mid-1990s. The planes flew over separatist-controlled South Ossetia, whose de facto border with Georgia is around 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Tbilisi, where U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was on a visit. Nikoloz Rurura, deputy chairman of Georgia's national security commission, said Friday that further overflights would not be tolerated. "We are very seriously preparing our armed forces; they are able to unequivocally repel any such aggressive steps," Rurura told The Associated Press. Hours earlier, officials in breakaway Abkhazia accused Georgian officials of plotting a blast that killed four there on Sunday. Abkhazian presidential envoy Ruslan Kishmariya said Friday that an investigation proves "high-ranking employees of the Georgian Interior Ministry" were behind the blast. The bomb exploded Sunday in a cafe in the town of Gali. The victims were a regional security chief, a U.N. translator, a local serviceman and a waitress. Georgia dismissed the initial accusations as "absurd and groundless." Russia does not formally recognize either region's separatist government, but it maintains close contacts with them and has granted passports to most of the regions' residents. Russia has peacekeeping forces in both regions; Georgia accuses the Russian forces of supporting the separatists. Georgia has said it suspects Russia of using peacekeeping troops as a cover to bring artillery and other heavy weapons into Abkhazia, and has flown pilotless reconnaissance drones over the breakaway region.

                    Source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h...ohzgwD91RK8UO1

                    US blasts Russia for sending aircraft into contested South Ossetia region



                    The United States criticized Russia on Monday for intentionally violating Georgian airspace by sending military aircraft over the rebellious Georgian region of South Ossetia. Sean McCormack, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said Russian activities in the former Soviet republic "raise questions about Russia's role as peacekeeper and facilitator of the negotiations" to find a solution to separatist movements that have kept South Ossetia and Abkhazia away from the control of the central Georgian government. Russia said Friday that four of its planes circled over South Ossetia late Wednesday for about 40 minutes to head off a possible "invasion" by Georgian troops. Georgia threatened to shoot down planes Russian planes if the incursion is repeated. "The United States is concerned by the recent escalation in violence in the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and calls upon all sides to return to direct negotiations and resolve their differences peacefully," McCormack said. "We are deeply troubled by Russia's statement that its military aircraft deliberately violated Georgia's internationally recognized borders." In a statement issued late Monday, McCormack urged all countries, "including Russia," to "support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders."

                    Source: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/...ia-Georgia.php

                    Georgia to Expand Military to Counter Russian Threat in Regions



                    Georgia plans to expand its military more than 15% to 37,000 soldiers to counter the threat of Russian aggression in two breakaway regions, a Georgian deputy defense minister said. Batu Kutelia said the troop increase follows a threat analysis last year. "We're talking about specific, not theoretical, threats," he said yesterday by telephone in the capital Tbilisi. "I'm referring to recent events" in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, "especially the air-defense situation." Georgia recalled its ambassador from Moscow on July 10 after Russia admitted that its air force violated Georgian airspace in South Ossetia. Russia's Foreign Ministry said the "brief flight" came in response to information of a possible Georgian "invasion" of the region. Mr. Kutelia said the additional manpower will be deployed to defend Georgia's airspace and the Black Sea coast. The increasing tension and violence in Georgia, which President Saakashvili's government has consistently blamed on Russia, has made the Black Sea country a flashpoint in Russia's relations with the West.

                    Source: http://www.nysun.com/foreign/georgia...russian/81836/

                    Russia, Georgia Hold Military Exercises amidst Tensions



                    Russia and Georgia have simultaneously started large-scale military exercises amid growing tensions between the two countries, caused by Russia's support of the self-proclaimed states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,and Georgia's plans to enter the NATO bloc. Russian Kavkaz-008 exercise is presented as a simulated counter-terrorist operation with tasks such as detecting, blocking and eliminating terrorist groups at altitudes over 2,500 meters. About 8,000 servicemen are taking part in the training and Russian command has also dispatched the elite Pskov Airborne Division to take part in the exercise. About 700 combat vehicles and more than 30 aircraft will be activated. The paratroopers will act together with the ground forces of the North Caucasus Military District, the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla, the border guard troops and the local Interior Ministry directorate. The servicemen will cooperate with peacekeeping forces stationed in the conflict zone and train to deliver humanitarian aid to the civilian population, the Russian Interior Ministry said in a release.

                    The Russian exercises will be held on the territory of 11 Russian regions, including Chechnya, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Karachayevo-Circassia. The paratroopers will train near the Roksky and Mamison passes; the Roksky pass is the major link with the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. However, Colonel Igor Konaxshenkov, an aide to the Russian Ground Forces Commander, told Russian reporters that the exercises were pre-planned and not connected with the latest events in the region, but admitted the training program was adjusted. "The main objective of the training is to estimate the ability of the military command to act jointly in the conditions of terrorist threat in South Russia. In connestion with the aggravation of the situation in the zones of Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-Ossetian conflicts, the participation in special peacekeeping operations will be also exercised," the colonel was quoted as saying by the Itar-Tass news agency.

                    On the other side of the border, Georgia started exercises, dubbed Immediate Response-2008, with the United States military forces. Acxcording to the Georgian Defense Ministry spokesperson, Mindiya Arabuli, about 1,200 U.S. servicemen and 800 Georgians will train for three weeks at the Vaziani military base near the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Military officers from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine will also take part in the exercises, the Georgian Defense Ministry reported. Two U.S. Air Force helicopters will take part in the training, the Georgian side said. It also added that the exercises are being fully funded by the Pentagon. Just like the Russian side, the Georgian officials said that the drills were planned months ago and are not related to recent tensions. As the two countries launched their supposedly unconnected military training, German foreign minister started his trip to Georgia and Russia aimed to secure peace in the breakaway republic of Abkhazia. Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Thursday and on Friday he plans to go to Abkhazia, where he will meet local leaders, the AFP news agency reported. The trip will then take him to Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov before Steinmeier returns to Berlin Saturday.

                    "The goal of the trip is to find with all the affected parties... ways out of this spiral of constantly escalating incidents. It is about building trust and creating the specific conditions for a solution that will be acceptable for all," German Foreign Ministry spokesperson was quoted by the agency as saying. German diplomatic sources said the trip would involve vetting specific initial steps with all sides to find a viable way forward. The German minister called Rusxsian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier this week to discuss Abkhazia. Lavrov told him that Moscow wanted both "sides to accept obligations not to use force," and for Georgian troops to pull out of the strategic Kodori Gorge in Abkhazia, the Russian foreign ministry said.

                    Source: http://www.mnweekly.ru/news/20080718/55338376.html
                    Last edited by Armenian; 07-22-2008, 02:41 AM.
                    Մեր ժողովուրդն արանց հայրենասիրութեան այն է, ինչ որ մի մարմին' առանց հոգու:

                    Նժդեհ


                    Please visit me at my Heralding the Rise of Russia blog: http://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/

                    Comment


                    • Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations



                      Russia

                      Russia needs bombers in Cuba due to NATO expansion - ex-commander


                      14:53|21/ 07/ 2008


                      MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) - The possible deployment of Russian strategic bombers in Cuba may be an effective response to the placement of NATO bases near Russia's borders, a former Air Force commander said on Monday.

                      Russian daily Izvestia earlier on Monday cited a senior Russian military source as saying that Russian strategic bombers could be stationed again in Cuba, only 90 miles from the U.S. coast, in response to the U.S. missile shield in Europe.

                      "If these plans are being considered, it would be a good response to the attempts to place NATO bases near the Russian borders," Gen. of the Army Pyotr Deinekin told RIA Novosti.

                      "I do not see anything wrong with it because nobody listens to our objections when they place airbases and listening posts near our borders," the general said.

                      However, Deinekin said the possibility of Russian bombers being stationed in Cuba is largely hypothetical, because Russia's Tu-160 Blackjack and Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers are both capable of reaching the U.S. coast, patrolling the area for about 1.5 hours, and returning to airbases in Russia with mid-air refueling.
                      Russia resumed strategic bomber patrol flights over the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans last August, following an order signed by former president Vladimir Putin. Russian bombers have since carried out over 80 strategic patrol flights and have often been escorted by NATO planes.

                      Deinekin suggested that Cuba could be used as a refueling stopover for Russian aircraft rather than as a permanent base, because the Russian political and military leadership would be unlikely to take such a drastic step under current global political conditions.

                      In October 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought U.S. and the U.S.S.R. to the brink of nuclear war when Soviet missiles were stationed in Cuba.

                      The crisis was resolved after 12 days when the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, backed down and ordered the missiles removed.

                      Moscow had a military presence on Cuba for almost four decades after that, maintaining an electronic listening post at Lourdes, about 20 km (12.5 miles) from Havana, to monitor U.S. military moves and communications.
                      Russia was paying $200 million a year to lease the base, which it closed down in January 2002.


                      The possible deployment of Russian strategic bombers in Cuba may be an effective response to the placement of NATO bases near Russia's borders, a former Air Force commander said on Monday.

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X