Armenia to balance its relations with Russia, EU

Armenia will maintain its traditional friendship with Russia while developing relations with the European Union (EU), a political analyst has said. "Russia needs Armenia no less than Armenia needs Russia, as Russia cannot have such deep, comprehensive and friendly relations with other countries in the South Caucasus," Aleksandr Iskandaryan, director of the Caucasus Institute, a policy think-tank based here, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Iskandaryan said it is of utmost importance for Armenia to assure its strategic partner Russia there was nothing to fear from the central Asian nation's relations with the EU. He said Armenia developes its relations with Russia on the basis of security and gas supply, while the Armenia-EU relationship mainly focuses on economic cooperation. Armenia, along with three other countries in the region - Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, is expected to sign an association agreement with the EU, which would deepend economic cooperationi with the European bloc, Iskandaryan said. On Armenia-China relations, the expert said: "China and Armenia do not have any problems in the region and, due to that fact, the future of their relations can be very fruitful." Iskandaryan said the geographic position of Armenia at the crossroads of Europe and Asia is an "asset" China could consider in developing its relations with the region.