Le Monde: After Russia's 'betrayal', Armenia seeks new security partners
Russia is no longer a reliable partner for Armenia and “distrust” of Moscow has never been greater, Le Monde reported on Monday.
The report says Armenia is drawing lessons from the fall of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) following Azerbaijan’s attack on 19-20 September which triggered an exodus of its almost entire ethnic Armenian population.
“No longer able to rely on its historical ally, now considered a "traitor," or even a new enemy, Armenia is looking for new ways to cooperate in an attempt to ensure its security. This is all the more necessary as this small, landlocked Caucasus country is under threat of a new attack from Baku, which is determined to obtain the Zangezur Corridor, which is supposed to link Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan,” Le Monde says.
"This diversification of alliances is at the heart of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's new strategy. "We made the mistake of putting all our eggs in one basket," observed an official speaking on condition of anonymity. "If we have five or six friends from whom we can buy weapons and several economic partners, that will enable us not to depend on just one, in case they wish to punish us." Yerevan has no intention of breaking completely with Russia but wants to reduce its extreme dependence. "Russia remains our partner, despite its unfriendly attitude," noted the same source.
"Armenia, which has signed a bilateral defense agreement with Moscow, is criticizing in particular a "problem linked to the delivery of arms and equipment that have already been paid for," in this case a contract worth over $250 million that has never been honored," reads the report.