Today we live in a society, which can not imagine life without expressing views on social media. Probably it does have certain advantages. Nevertheless, many participants of active discussions have already forgotten or do not even know about the developments, which unfolded in Armenia 5, 10 or 15 years ago.  

To fill the gap Mediamax presents 5/10/15 project, which introduce developments in Armenia 5, 10 and 15 years ago.

•    15 YEARS AGO: AUGUST 17-23, 2005

“Azerbaijan cannot seduce us with oil”

On August 22, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan stated that “Azerbaijan can neither seduce nor scare us with its oil.”

Vartan Oskanyan in 2005

Photo: Photolure

“Armenia always has the ability to militarily counter any Azerbaijani military budget. In fact, the advantage that Armenians have over Azerbaijan is not in military expenditures or arms, but in the justness of the cause. Armenians believe that the Nagorno Karabakh cause is just, and in case of war, they will be fighting for their own homes and land. This is not what the Azerbaijanis did or would do,” he said.

•    10 YEARS AGO: AUGUST 17-23, 2010

Lavrov urges not to “exaggerate”

On August 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that “the militant rhetoric is mainly conditioned by internal political situation of the particular country, from which it is voiced.”

Commenting on Azerbaijani leadership’s remarks on possible solution of Karabakh conflict with the use of force in an interview to Armenian Public TV Company, Sergey Lavrov said he was not “inclined to exaggerate the importance of the militant rhetoric, which is being periodically voiced”, at that noting that “of course it isn’t helping”.

Commenting on the concern caused by reports on sale of C-300 anti-aircraft missile complexes by Russia to Azerbaijan, the Russian Foreign Minister stated:

“Let’s not forget what those complexes represent: it is equipment for defense, which is meant to defend the territory from attacks from air space. The defense armament can be a problem for those, who intend to use force, and I am sure that not a single country intends to start hostilities in the given region”.

Sergey Lavrov and Serzh Sargsyan

Photo: Photolure

An Order for Lavrov

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on August 19 on awarding Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov the Saint Mesrop Mashtots Order for the great contribution to consolidation and development of bilateral relations.

Russian base expands the scope of responsibility

On August 20, Armenian and Russian Defense Ministers Seyran Ohanyan and Anatoly Serdyukov signed a protocol in Yerevan on making changes in the Agreement on the Russian military base in Armenia, signed on March 16, 1995.

At the news conference after signing the documents, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stated that “in accordance with the protocol, not only the term of the Russian base’s stay in Armenia is prolonged, but the scope of its geographic and strategic responsibility is being expanded too.”

Serzh Sargsyan and Dmitry Medvedev in Gyumri in 2010

Photo: Photolure

“While the zone of responsibility was limited to the external borders of former USSR previously, from now on Russia has taken upon itself the commitment of joint provision of military security of Armenia and on equipping our Armed Forces with modern types of armament,” he said.

His Russian counterparty Dmitry Medvedev stated that “Russia is very serious about its ally commitments towards Armenia”, indicated in the Collective Security Treaty.

Ara Tadevosyan