DOES THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA NEED A CONCEPT OF NATIONAL SECURITY?
Regnum, Russia
March 7 2006
Armenian press digest
Yerevan, 7 March 2006 (Regnum – website) – Does the Republic of Armenia
need a concept of national security? 87.8% of Lragir readers say “yes”
– it is time for Armenia to specify its security priorities. 12.2%
say it’s not time yet.
The attempts to develop a national security concept have a long
history, says Lragir. The first such attempt was made in 1994-1995 –
a governmental commission led by Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan worked
on a military doctrine and a mobilization program. Later the Defense
Ministry and the Foreign Ministry formed a working group who developed
relevant programs and drafted necessary documents. But the project
was not approved for several reasons: in 1997 it was yet unclear who
should approve a military doctrine in the first place.
“Coming up with a national security concept in 1998 was also Vardan
Oskanyan. We in the Defense Ministry got the draft but it was never
discussed. Why? You better ask the President and the Security Council,”
ex Infrastructure Coordination Minister, ex Deputy Defense Minister
Vahan Shirkhanyan says in a talk with Lragir. The leader of the
Fatherland and Honor party Garnik Margaryan says that “a state that has
no national security strategy cannot speak about the existence of its
nation. But to speak about national security concept today is absurd.”
Novoye Vremya daily says that the concept development has a point that
has got not very adequate response from journalists. The point is that,
according to National Security Council Secretary Serzh Sarkisyan,
at a certain stage, before public discussion, the draft will be sent
for examination to Russian Civil Service Academy and US National
Defense University.
“No single country in the world has ‘a shadow strategy,'” says
Sarkisyan. “Simply, our national security strategy will lay the basis
for a defense doctrine and some departments will be able, within their
competence, to make secret some of its provisions, particularly, those
concerning economic secrets.” “There is nothing strange in the fact
that the draft will be sent for examination to the US and Russia,”
says MP Hamayak Hovhannissyan. “The US and Russia are our political
allies and, naturally, should be informed of our strategic plans.”
The point is that Armenia cannot ensure its security all alone, with
no support of international organizations and allies. Unable to do
this alone are even far bigger and richer countries. Each country,
however self-sufficient it might be, should look to its allies in
security issues.” Hovhannissyan does not agree with those saying that
the document is sent somewhere for approval. “Our allies should inform
us of their views. Armenia’s security system is based on its alliance
with Russia and the US, their commitment to develop relations with
their ally and to promote its security,” says Hovhannissyan.