The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

[Tigranakert]

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

Keep up the good work Armenian, I truly love reading youre posts, I have learned alot from you. Other then you ''trueAnatolian'' he calles himself Armenian. If you show no interest in our most valuable partner Russia, do not read his posts.

I can not understand how (if you are actually an Armenian) you can say such things about Armenian, a real patriot who loves his nation and just wants the best for us all.

I have noticed people like you and the turks are ruining this forum, causing lots of discussions and topics about nonsense, not related on Armenian issues and totally without any meaning.

The moderators would do good by at least banning those turks from this forum and banning people who just post childish ''bullxxxx'', this would improve the quality of this forum.

[SweetAngessa]

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

Here is the entire questioning and answering session in english if anyone wants to read. It still amazes me how remarkably intelligent and knowledgeable Mr Putin is as i watched the entire session on television. Especially compared to a western politician. Who never answer or be asked the question he does, for instant about a pensor not affording firewood and have a remarkable answer to them. The last question asked was very interesting as well. What do you love most of all? and he answered Russia.

http://premier.gov.ru/eng/events/1338.html

[truAnatolian]

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

Now it's permenant. I hope you're happy.

[Armenian]

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

Another symbolic first.

**********************************

Russian ship enters Panama Canal

Russian warship enters Panama Canal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUEqkWVCJSI

A Russian warship has entered the Panama Canal for the first time since World War II. The Admiral Chabanenko had earlier completed manoeuvres with Venezuela's navy, coinciding with a Latin American tour by the Russian president. The 50-mile (80km) canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans was shut to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Correspondents say the Russian ship will send a symbolic message in what the US sees as its sphere of influence. Ties between the two superpowers have become strained because of Washington's plan for a missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic - something Moscow is firmly opposed to. Panama said the passage of the ship had no political significance, as the canal is "open to all the world's ships".

First since 1944

The warship entered the canal on Friday night and was expected to take eight hours to reach the Pacific. It will dock at Rodman, once the base for all US naval activities in South America. The canal journey, the naval exercises and President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to the region have been seen as aimed at strengthening Russia's influence in the region. In the naval exercises, about 1,600 Russian and 700 Venezuelan sailors on four Russian ships and 12 Venezuelan vessels took part in the VenRus 2008 joint exercise. They had originally been scheduled to last three days, but both Venezuelan and Russian officials said the manoeuvres had been successfully completed in one day. The first and only time Soviet warships used the Panama Canal was in 1944, when the USSR and US were fighting as allies against Hitler, the Russian embassy in Panama told AFP news agency. Four Soviet submarines crossed the Panama Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific after undergoing repairs, it said.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7768743.stm

[ZORAVAR]

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

Dear Armenian,

Just wanted to add my humble words of appreciation for your noble efforts of conveying a correct and positive way of thinking to our English-speaking compatriots who are unfortunately exposed solely to the Western media and mindset.

I share the vast majority of your beliefs and points of view and I am glad you are passing them on to everyone in such a magnificiant manner. During the tragic nineties, I sometimes tought I was the last hayrenaser left who looked at geopolitics the same way you do... I am so glad there were many many others who were not blinded. Then came the new millenium and something was changing. And yes you are correct, that littleknown "Putin" was/is at least partly responsible for it.

Dear friend, do not expect everybody to agree with your views, but you are definitly getting these people to think harder. Unfortunately, there will also be the occasional troll who will try to derail this thread. Our excellent moderators know exactly how to deal with them.

But let us always look at the positive side: I am certain that you have "opened the eyes" of a large number of readers who would have probably be left in the dark. Whether they are registered or just guests on this forum, I am certain they appreciate what you are doing.

As the strongest words of encouragement that I can pass to you, I will repeat what I wrote in my first ever post here not too long ago: "It is this particular thread that prompted me to join this forum."

Keep up the good work.

[Armenian]

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

Keep up the good work Armenian, I truly love reading youre posts, I have learned alot from you...

Thank you for your kind words, Tigranakert. Individuals like you make my efforts here seem worthwhile.

I have noticed that my presence in cyberspace sometimes brings out the worst in people. But I am not here to make friends. I am not here to talk about girls. I am not here to cry about the genocide. I am not here to talk about cars or about rabiz music. I am just interested in having an impact on the mindset of young English speaking Armenians of the Western world, especially within the United States. I want young Armenians to be exposed to the most important yet least appreciated or least studied topic on earth - geopolitics. Geopolitics is what makes or breaks nations and it is what makes the world go around. So, I am not competing for a popularity contest here - I just want to speak my mind.

Regarding Russia: I have been closely (and anxiously) watching the Russian Federation since Putin rose to power in the year 2000. I believe Putin is one of the greatest political saviors in human history. Putting aside my personal attraction and appreciation for Russian history and culture, I firmly believe that Armenia's longterm survival and prosperity is intricately and fundamentally connected to the well being of the Russian nation. Armenia's survival as a nation-state in the world's current geopolitical environment is only made possible by the presence of a strong Russian Federation in the greater Caucasus region. The Caucasus is a nasty and unforgiving place. In my opinion, without a Russian presence in the Caucasus not even a million Armenian freedom fighters could save Armenia from eventual destruction. This realization may not be popular with most Armenian patriots, but no matter how you look at it, no matter how one analyzes it, this is our nation's reality today. It's best to work with reality than with fantasy. And this is why I panic when I see individuals or entities trying to put a wedge between Armenia and Russia.

Thus, my obsession over Russia, if it can be considered as such, is essentially connected to my deep concern about Armenia's survival in the Caucasus.

Dear Armenian, Just wanted to add my humble words of appreciation for your noble efforts of conveying a correct and positive way of thinking to our English-speaking compatriots who are unfortunately exposed solely to the Western media and mindset...

I am deeply humbled by your kind words, enker. Moreover, these words coming from one as intelligent as you means very much for me. Thank you for being here, Zoravar. Please continue participating in exposing readers of this thread, who sometimes number over a thousand a day, to sound geopolitical analysis of the current state of world affairs. We are truly living in interesting and dangerous times. The next few years will be pivotal in human history. It's our responsibility as Armenians and as citizens of the earth to bring awareness and knowledge to the sleeping masses.

[Mizzike]

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

Hey Armenian...I know I shouldn't be polluting the thread with irrelevant chatter, but I am just curious...How educated are you? Do you have college degrees? If so, what in? Or do you just have personal interest in politics?

[Armenian]

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

Hey Armenian...I know I shouldn't be polluting the thread with irrelevant chatter, but I am just curious...How educated are you? Do you have college degrees? If so, what in? Or do you just have personal interest in politics?

I have a piece of paper that supposedly says I'm educated. My education, however, is not related to geopolitics, Armenology, or history; these are my personal hobbies and passions. I never did very well in collage because my attention and interests were always elsewhere. But I knew that if I wanted to have a comfortable life (professionally/financially) I had to somehow get through the educational system with a marketable skill. Well, I did get through the system and thus far I have been able to live a comfortable life; which is one of the reasons why I have enough time to be here sharing my ideas with you all. Anyway, a "college degree" to me is irrelevant in the final analysis of life. I have experianced many individuals with higher education who in my opinion are total idiots when it come to rational, intellect, spiritual depth, criticial thinking and exposure/experience. I prefer a self-educated person. I appreciate a person's intellectual and spiritual depth much more than a piece of paper that says he or she has successfully completed an educational system that is setup to prepare mindless robots in a sick society. Anyway, let's please keep this thread on topic. Send me a pm if you have personal questions.

[TheGreat]

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

Govt to Inject 150bn in Defense Enterprises

Russia’s government will rescue defense and industrial complex from global turmoil. The package of bailout actions is worth 150 billion rubles and the RF Finance Ministry will submit it to the cabinet this week, Vedomosti reported citing its own sources.
The list of enterprises to be rescued by the state isn’t clear yet, but the sources say the United Aircraft Corp and Rostekhnologii will be there for sure.

Meanwhile, the accounts payable of Rostekhnologii enterprises amount to roughly 80 billion rubles, and MiG owes more than 40 billion rubles, which shelved the company’s merger with the United Aircraft Corp.

The bailout plan for defense and industrial enterprises sets forth five major items. The state is ready to inject roughly 50 billion rubles to step up their capitalization and lay aside another 100 billion rubles as the loan security.

The government intends to consider applications filed by defense and industrial companies for the buyout of their new stocks. There will be from 15 to 35 companies overall. Russia’s Vice Premier Sergei Ivanov pledged earlier that the state order for defense sector would widen by 60 billion rubles in 2009. http://www.kommersant.com/p-13710/Defense_bailout/

[Armenian]

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

India, Russia regain elan of friendship

By M K Bhadrakumar

The visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to New Delhi last week turned out to be an occasion for the Indian government to fundamentally reassess the strategic significance of the traditional India-Russia partnership. No doubt, the visit took place at a turning point in contemporary history and politics against the backdrop of massive shifts in the international system. Medvedev arrived in India in the immediate aftermath of the horrific terrorist strikes on Mumbai. The regional security situation - especially Afghanistan - naturally figured prominently in the agenda of the visit. The joint declaration signed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Medvedev after extensive talks in New Delhi reflects that the two sides have taken serious pains to understand each other's vital concerns and have endeavored to go more than half the distance to accommodate them. They also made a conscious effort to expand their common ground in the international system. After a considerable lapse of time, Russian-Indian relationship seems to be on the move. Things which were hanging fire in the general drift of Russian-India relations in recent years are being attended to. Principal among them is the tendentious issue of the escalation of costs for the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which India has contracted to buy. On the eve of Medvedev's visit, the Indian cabinet took the decision to agree to discuss an additional US$2.2 billion payment as demanded by Russia. The government also has approved the acquisition of 80 medium-lift Mi-17 helicopters from Russia worth $1.3 billion.

Reaching out

Medvedev also came with a brief to discuss the leasing of a nuclear submarine to the Indian navy. India-Russia military cooperation is back in full swing with a host of projects in the pipeline. Russia has consolidated its place as the number one arms supplier for India. But the icing on the cake is the proposed cooperation in the nuclear and space fields. Agreements were signed on Russia constructing four new nuclear power plants in India and on assisting a manned Indian space flight. Russia has offered a new power plant AES-2006, which incorporates a third generation WER-1200 reactor of 1170MW. Russia has also agreed to supply uranium worth $700 million to meet India's acute shortage. Manmohan described the agreements as signifying a "new milestone in the history of cooperation with Russia". He added, "It is a relationship that has withstood the test of time." He acknowledged that India's dialogue with Russia has "intensified considerably". Significantly, he said the terrorist attacks on Mumbai "present a threat to pluralistic societies" [read Russia] and that "there is much Russia and India can do to promote global peace".

Clearly, the two countries have rediscovered the old elan of their friendship. They are reaching out to each other once again in a world that is in transition. Apart from the volatility in the international situation, both India and Russia sense that change is in the air in the United States' global policies, but neither would wager the extent and directions of the change. Both are acutely conscious of the inexorable decline in the US influence in world politics and the urgent need to adjust to the emergent realities of multipolarity. At the same time, the US remains the single-most important interlocutor for both India and Russia for the foreseeable future. Neither would see their partnership as directed against the US. Even as Medvedev arrived in Delhi, a senior Indian official was making contacts with key advisors to president-elect Barack Obama to brief them on Delhi's perspectives and policies. On its part, Moscow is also in an expectant mood about the Obama presidency, though tempered with cautious optimism.

The balancing of Russian-Indian mutual interests evident in the joint declaration brings out these delicate impulses as they touch on many areas. The declaration is devoid of any anti-US rhetoric as such but it is very obvious that the two countries are overhauling their partnership in tune with a "post-American century". India has identified itself with the Russian position on reforming the international economic and financial systems so that it adapts to "new realities" and promotes a "more just world economic order based on the principles of multipolarity, rule of law, equality, mutual respect and common responsibility".

Russia seeks Sino-Indian rapport

India also finds itself emphasizing the "growing and more focused interaction" within the framework of the trilateral format among Russia, China and India, despite its lukewarm attitude in the recent past towards the process which annoys Washington as a needless endeavor on India's part. Significantly, the joint declaration says that the trilateral format "acquires importance in the framework of multilateral dialogue mechanisms, substantially contributes to strengthening newly emerging multipolarity and promotes collective leadership of world’s leading states". This is a carefully drafted formulation that speaks of an intention to inject new dynamism into the format. Conceivably, Moscow has prevailed on Delhi to reassess the significance of the format in the volatile international situation. Russia had been viewing with growing despondency its inability to foster Sino-Indian rapport. Equally, the Russian side seems to have urged India to play a more active role and "more constructive participation and contribution to" the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Similarly, India has shed its carefully cultivated ambivalence and come out in open, unqualified support of the Russian position on the situation in the Caucasus region. It is a signal victory of the Kremlin to have finally got India on board, as this is a most sensitive issue which occupies the first circle of Russian foreign policy and is, in fact, a leitmotif of Russia's relations with the US in the coming period. The joint declaration stresses, "India supports the important role of the Russian Federation in promoting peace and cooperation in the Caucasian region". The key expression is "Caucasian" - anything from the Caucasus region. India's support is open-ended and unequivocal. Again, India has voiced its support for Russia's keenness to join the Asia-Europe meeting and East Asia summit mechanisms, while Russia has reiterated its support for India's claim to permanent membership in an expanded United Nations Security Council. From the Indian perspective, no doubt, it is an invaluable asset that Moscow has voiced its total "support and solidarity" with New Delhi on the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The Russian gesture by far exceeds the words of sympathy offered by Washington. Of course, Moscow is not facing Washington's dilemma, which is one of having to carefully balance between New Delhi and Islamabad. Simply put, what the Mumbai attacks have badly exposed is that much as terrorism is a shared concern for the US and India, their priorities at this juncture greatly differ.

India would expect Washington to come down like a ton of bricks on Islamabad to pressure the latter to take seriously the Indian allegation that the terrorist strike in Mumbai was perpetrated by elements in Pakistan with possible links to that country's security establishment. Evidently, Washington is in no position to fulfill the Indian expectations. Its number one priority is the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan's continued cooperation in the war. Washington cannot afford a "distracted" Pakistan, and its main political and diplomatic challenge, therefore, is to get Pakistan to remain "focused" on the war effort in the Afghan-Pakistan tribal areas. New Delhi senses that as time goes by, it will find this paradigm frustrating. This is not a new paradigm, either. But Delhi's options are limited, though the government is under immense pressure not only to act but also to be seen actively acting. The delicate strategic balance between India and Pakistan virtually forecloses even a "limited" war option for either nuclear power. The only alternative open to India is to reassess its diplomatic options. But on this score, New Delhi needs to do some new thinking.

Which is where Delhi's partnership with Moscow comes into play. The strategic community in New Delhi would realize to their great discomfiture that the entire package of post-Cold War assumptions underlying the US-India strategic partnership just do not add up in the present situation for India to cope with the formidable task of pressuring Pakistan. Their broad assumption that the US would take care of India's "Pakistan problem" while India concentrated on its tryst with destiny as a great power or "balancer" in the international system is turning out to be a grotesque misjudgment by the Indian strategic gurus. So, indeed, their assumptions regarding "absolute security". The Russian-Indian joint declaration suggests that New Delhi is swiftly adapting to the reality that it must diversify the sinews of cooperation and revitalize its diverse partnerships with countries on the basis of shared concerns and commonality of interests rather than pursue a foreign policy whose prime objective has been to harmonize Indian regional policies with the US's. This is most tellingly evident on the Joint Declaration's paragraph devoted to Afghanistan.

Realignment on Afghanistan

Ironically, New Delhi seems to have decided that if it is Afghan war that causes so much discomfiture for Washington to come out into the open in support of India over the Mumbai strikes, it shall also be Afghanistan on which Indian regional policy shall begin to make a new beginning and careen away for the first time in a long while from US benchmarks and expectations. The punch line in the joint declaration comes almost innocuously. Sharing their concern over the "deteriorating security situation" in Afghanistan, India and Russia called for a "coherent and a united international commitment" to dealing with the threats emanating from that country. The implied criticism of the US-led war is obvious as also the rejection of the US strategy to keep the war strategy as its exclusive prerogative. The Joint Declaration then goes on to say, "Both sides welcome Russia's initiative to organize an international conference in the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, involving its Member states and Observers."

New Delhi has come out into open support of a regional initiative on Afghanistan, which Washington would have loved to stifle in its cradle. The Indian stance is significant for various reasons. India has decided that there is no need to mark time until the Obama administration finalizes its own new Afghan strategy. It is asserting its own stakes independent of the US strategy. Two, India is identifying with Russia, China and Iran, which is an immensely significant happening in regional politics. Three, India is siding with a Russia-led regional initiative on Afghanistan at a time when various influential American opinion-makers have been floating the idea of a US-led "regional approach" to an Afghan settlement that virtually allows the US to be on the driving seat. Most certainly, India is implicitly recognizing the SCO's relevance to South Asian security. Afghanistan is a member of the SAARC and could act as a bridge between South Asia and Central Asia. In essence, therefore, India is spurning the US's much-touted "Great Central Asia" strategy that aims at diluting the SCO's role in Central Asia and instead pins hopes on India as a counterweight to the Russian and Chinese regional influence.

It is apparent that India is dissociating from the concerted US policy to keep the SCO out of Afghanistan. Moscow has been vainly striving to carve out a toehold for the SCO as a regional body while Washington has been discouraging Afghan President Hamid Karzai from lending weight to the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group. More than anything else, the fact remains that the Russian initiative on an SCO conference is intended as a challenge to the monopoly that Washington has kept in determining the contours of any Afghan settlement. Indeed, it opens up more possibilities for Karzai to expand his "strategic autonomy" vis-a-vis Washington, which he has been inclined to exercise, even if timidly, of late. Karzai has every reason to cooperate with a regional initiative in which all the major powers surrounding Afghanistan such as Russia, China, India and Iran are associated. The onus is now on the US and Pakistan to explain why they should dissociate. Of course, the US would have preferred to encourage the on-going Turkish initiative to mediate Afghan-Pakistan talks. The latest three-way round involving the presidents of Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan just concluded in Ankara. Washington was happy that Turkey lent a hand in keeping the Afghan peace process as an "in-house" affair - keeping "outsiders" like Russia or Iran at arm's length. The SCO initiative is a needless intrusion, from the US-Turkish perspective.

[...]

Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar was a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service. His assignments included the Soviet Union, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kuwait and Turkey.

Source: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JL09Df02.html