Arman Melikyan says Russia is of strategic significance for Armenia

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS:

Russia's role in the region and in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict is huge, former foreign minister of Nagorno Karabakh Arman Melikyan told a news conference today, adding that Russia is the only state in the region having military presence. "It is of military and strategic significance for Armenia that raised a big number of mutual arrangements, though the Armenian-Russian relations have not developed slowly," he said adding that on the threshold of electoral phase all the political forces are trying in this or that way register their friendly, close relations with Russia.

He said it is being done both by the authorities and the opposition. "The possible success of this or that political figure in Armenia depends from the attitude of Russia," Melikyan expressed opinion, reminding that the ANC figures also visited Moscow and afterward stated that they have warm and practical relations with Russia. "It is understandable as Armenia ties about the 50% of the economic issues with this neighboring country especially in the energy sphere which is of strategic significance," Melikyan said.