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Russia must not preach ethnic hatred, envoy to Armenia says

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  • Russia must not preach ethnic hatred, envoy to Armenia says

    Russia must not preach ethnic hatred, envoy to Armenia says

    Aykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
    11 Nov 04

    Russia and Armenia must maintain and foster their relations, the
    Russian envoy has told a conference in Yerevan. Asked to comment on the
    attitude in Russia towards Caucasian people after the Beslan school
    siege, the envoy said "we are a multi-national state and simply we
    cannot propagandize hatred". He also denied that Armenian enterprises,
    handed over to Russia as part of the Property for Debt deal, were
    failing to make progress. The following is the text of Anna Akopyan's
    report by Armenian newspaper Aykakan Zhamanak on 11 November headlined
    "We have what we have"; subheadings inserted editorially:

    "I have always said that I could never imagine that one day I would
    become Russian ambassador to an independent Armenia, as for hundreds
    of years we lived in the same state and certainly our situation today
    seemed unnatural. But today we are living in the 21st century and
    have what we have, we are living in two independent states." This is
    how the Russian ambassador to Armenia, Anatoliy Dryukov, started his
    speech at the scientific conference at Grachya Acharyan University
    yesterday [10 November].

    Armenia and Russia must foster deeper relations

    Mr Dryukov thinks that today Russians and Armenians are facing
    an important and difficult problem: not only to maintain the
    existing relations between the two peoples, but also to deepen and
    strengthen them in order to use these relations to overcome today's
    challenges. "Certainly it is not easy, as some things do not promote
    the deepening of our relations. But all the negative instances in
    Armenia and Russia are not of major significance, they have a temporary
    nature, and I should say they are a consequence of stupid actions,"
    Anatoliy Dryukov said.

    He also touched on Armenia's balance between the West and North
    and said that it was most correct for Armenia to orient itself by
    its own interests. "In Armenia many political scientists look at
    Armenian-Russian relations from the point of view of the cold war,
    whereas the policy that divided the world into two camps has already
    finished, and there are challenges and threats that cannot be fought
    alone," the ambassador said.

    Enterprises handed over to Russia working well

    [Aykakan Zhamanak correspondent] Mr Ambassador, under the Property
    for Debt programme five Armenian enterprises were given to Russia, but
    as yet no significant movement can be seen in those enterprises. Why?

    [Dryukov] It is absolutely wrong. I do not agree with this
    viewpoint, as work is being done in these enterprises and they
    are successful. Their results are not always noticed by us, because
    investments will be from the budget and today it is planned to include
    these issues in the 2005 budget. As for the Razdan power plant,
    here everything is normal, it is operating according to its schedule.

    "We cannot propagandize hatred"

    [Correspondent] It is known that after the Beslan events the situation
    of the Caucasus peoples, including Armenians, has become difficult
    in Russia. What is your attitude to this problem?

    [Dryukov] This is a very complicated problem. On the one hand such
    a psychological response is clear, but on the other hand it is not
    a determinant for other nations living in Russia, because we are a
    multi-national state and simply we cannot propagandize hatred. Yes,
    there are such cases, we are fighting them and do not accept them,
    because if we go this way Russia will not exist.

    [Correspondent] You said in your speech that some negative instances
    do not promote the deepening of Armenian-Russian relations. You also
    added that Armenia's relations with Russia should not be opposed to
    its relations with the West. Will you explain what those instances
    are that thwart Armenian-Russian relations? It may be concluded from
    your speech that it is not America.

    [Dryukov] You are quite right (he smiles). For instance, an Armenian
    is beaten in Russia and so on, certainly these are very unpleasant
    instances and leave their impact.
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