October 5, 2006 - 19:36 AMT
Armenian Army Best in Post Soviet Space
This year Georgia followed by Azerbaijan will fix the biggest budget, military and political expert Richard Giragossian said in Yerevan today. When speaking of the military constituent of security he remarked that "the Armenian and Nagorno Karabakh's Armed Forces are very strong, both in armament and morally. "The Armenian army is the best one in the post soviet space, but Armenia should be ready for a higher level and start reforms and modernization of the army so as not to allow the Azeri army become stronger in 10 years," he said.

When touching upon the American-Turkish cooperation the expert remarked that during many years it was rather successful and close. "However after the Iraqi war the situation has changed and now the U.S. State Department collaborates with the Turkish government rather than with the Defense Ministry," he said. As for Iran, Richard Giragossian considers that Iran is neither Iraq nor Afghanistan. Language of weapon should not be used for talk with this country.