Without Armenia Russia may lose South Caucasus: analyst

YEREVAN, September 30, /ARKA/. An Armenian political analyst warned today that without Armenia Russia may lose the South Caucasus. Speaking at the fifth Conference on Problems of Security and Information Cooperation in South Caucasus , Alexander Iskanderian, director of the Yerevan -based Caucasian Media Institute (CMI) said if Russia loses Armenia or revises radically its Armenian policy it will have to depart from the South Caucasus.

He said Armenia is interested in Russia because it is a crucial partner, a guarantor of its security. “It is not Russia’s physical presence in Armenia that matters most, it is the fact that Russia plays a special role in ensuring Armenia’s military security, in political risks and economy,’ he said, reminding that Russia is one of the largest investors in Armenian economy and many projects here requiring huge investments depend on Moscow.

‘If Russia did not exit Armenia would have quite a different position in the region, but in the current conditions there is nothing to replace their partnership,’ he said, adding that neither Georgia nor Russia would ever replace Armenia. He said if Russia wants to maintain its presence in the Caucuses that embraces also Iran and Turkey and stay in the format that is in place now it will have to follow its current policy for several years to come.’

The three-day conference is organized by the Russia RIA Noviosti news agency and the administration of Armenian president.  -0-