Friday, December 2 2016 12:18

ArmInfo.The agreement on creation of the joint Armenian- Russian military group meets the strategic interests of Armenia and aims to enhance the security of the country, Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov has told ArmInfo.   

"Actually, the joint military group was set up long ago. This  document just provides it with a legal status," he says. Sharmazanov  stressed that under the agreement, in times of peace the group will  be headed by an officer of the Armenian armed forces, unlike the  joint groups with NATO, which are led by US officers.    

Sharmazanov is amazed at the experts' remarks that the signing of the  given agreement will deteriorate the Armenian-Georgian relations.  "This is nonsense. The only mission of the group is to defend the  security of Armenia. It has no other functions," he says.   

To recall, on November 30, Armenian and Russian Defense Ministers,  Vigen Sargsyan and Sergey Shoygu, signed in Moscow an agreement on  joint military group of the two countries' armed forces. Sargsyan  said that the group will include the 102nd Russian military base in  Armenia and the detachments of the Armenian Armed Forces. The two  ministers also signed a cooperation plan for 2017. To note, on  November 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree,  approving the agreement with Armenia on joint military group of the  Russian and Armenian armed forces.  The Defense Ministry and Foreign  Ministry of Russia were instructed to hold negotiations with the  Armenian side and to sign the agreement on behalf of Russia once the  arrangements were reached. The agreement will be signed for 5 years  and will be further extended for 5 years unless either of the parties  wants to terminate it.