Armenia joins US-led coalition, Russia admits relations with ally 'not easy'

On January 14, Armenia announced that it is preparing to join the US-led international coalition to fight the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization.

Armenia is increasingly moving away from Russia with treaties with the US and the launch of the EU accession process. (Source: Azernews)

According to AFP news agency, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan met in Washington and signed an agreement to expand security cooperation.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. Blinken said that Washington is "cooperating with Yerevan in the field of security and defense and especially supporting Armenia's efforts to assert its independence and sovereignty over its territory."

According to him, the US and Armenia "are becoming stronger partners for the benefit of both countries, the region and beyond."

The US will send a team to Armenia to provide expertise on strengthening border security, and begin talks on bilateral civil nuclear cooperation. Yerevan will also formally join the long-standing Washington-led coalition to defeat IS.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan said: "We are preparing to join the coalition created to defeat IS. We believe that joint actions will play an important role in the fight against terrorism."

The international coalition against IS was established in September 2014 and currently has 87 participating countries. According to the US State Department, the coalition aims to defeat IS on all fronts, including destroying the network that opposes the terrorist organization's global ambitions.

In addition to the military campaign in Iraq and Syria, the coalition also aims to weaken IS's financial resources and economic infrastructure.

The move comes as Armenia moves “towards the West” after long being an ally of Russia through the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Armenia suspended its participation in the CSTO following tensions with Azerbaijan.

Most recently, on January 9, the Armenian government passed a bill on the process of joining the European Union (EU).

On the same day, January 14, responding to Armenia's latest moves, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov affirmed that Moscow always values ​​its relationship with Yerevan, stating: "We value and intend to further develop that relationship."

According to the Kremlin official, Armenia has the right to develop relations with all countries, including the United States, but also noted that Yerevan receives significant benefits from cooperation with Moscow in the integration process.

Similarly, at the annual press conference on the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said that Armenia's decision to initiate the EU accession process was its sovereign choice.

However, the veteran diplomat noted, this is inconsistent with Armenia's current membership in the Eurasian Economic Union because these are "two different free trade zones, two different systems of reduced or exempted tariffs."

Stressing that the leaders, "those in charge of Armenia's economic affairs, are responsible for weighing all the pros and cons" of joining the EU, the Russian Foreign Minister also commented that, at the official level, Moscow's relations with Yerevan are at a "not easy" stage.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/armenia-gia-nhap-lien-minh-do-my-dan-dau-nga-thua-nhan-quan-he-voi-dong-minh-khong-de-dang-300962.html