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Russia's Putin Invites New Armenian PM To Moscow

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  • Russia's Putin Invites New Armenian PM To Moscow

    RUSSIA'S PUTIN INVITES NEW ARMENIAN PM TO MOSCOW

    Reuters
    March 10 2008
    UK

    MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited
    Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sarksyan, winner of a disputed
    presidential election, to visit Moscow, news agencies quoted the
    Kremlin press service as saying on Monday.

    Armenian President Robert Kocharyan imposed a state of emergency on
    March 1 during street battles between police and protesters which
    killed eight people.

    The protesters say Kocharyan rigged the Feb. 19 election for his ally
    Sarksyan, who officially won with 53 percent of the vote against 21.5
    percent for his nearest rival, former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

    On Saturday Armenia's constitutional court upheld the result of
    the election.

    "The invitation was accepted with gratitude," RIA-Novosti quoted the
    Kremlin as saying. It did not say when Sarksyan would visit Moscow.

    Ter-Petrosyan has previously said he will continue protests after the
    end of the 20-day emergency rule. Both sides have refused to negotiate.

    Western powers have urged Armenia to lift the emergency laws and on
    Monday Kocharyan did lift minor provisions of the laws. But soldiers
    still patrol the streets of Yerevan, public meetings are still banned
    and an information blackout remains in force.

    Russia is ex-Soviet Armenia's largest foreign investor.

    Armenia lies on the edge of the volatile Caucasus region across which
    runs a pipeline pumping oil from Asia to Europe. Any instability in
    Armenia is considered a threat to regional stability.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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