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RUSSIAN OFFICIAL VOICES SUPPORT FOR YEREVAN
Radio Liberty
March 20 2008
Czech Republic
A senior Russian diplomat commended and voiced support for Armenia's
embattled leadership on Thursday as he wrapped up a two-day visit to
Yerevan that focused on the post-election unrest in the country.
"Riots, chaos in the streets is a very dangerous thing for any country,
and I believe that the events of March 1-2 showed the citizens of
Armenia just how dangerous that path can be. It does not solve any
problems and instead brings about instability, uncertainty about the
future," Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said, referring to
the last opposition demonstration in Yerevan marred by deadly clashes
between security forces and protesters.
"In my view, the government of new Armenian statehood has passed this
dangerous phase, this dangerous test and is now stepping on to a very
certain path of political reforms and dialogue," he told journalists.
The political situation in Armenia, Russia's main regional ally,
in the wake of last month's disputed presidential election topped
the agenda of Karasin's talks on Wednesday with departing President
Robert Kocharian and Prime Minister and President-elect Serzh
Sarkisian. Russia has closely followed the post-election developments
in the country, with President Vladimir Putin discussing it in a
March 10 phone call with Sarkisian. While calling for a dialogue
between the Armenian government and the opposition, Putin reaffirmed
the Kremlin's recognition of Sarkisian's victory in the election and
invited the latter to visit Moscow.
Sarkisian's office said on Thursday that the Armenian premier will
fly to Moscow on March 24. It said he will meet Putin and Russia's
President-elect Dmitry Medvedev to discuss "a broad range of issues
of mutual interest."
According to Karasin, Sarkisian and Kocharian now "understand and
control" the domestic political situation. "They have certain plans
for the future, plans for bringing the constructive opposition into
the legal field and starting dialogue," he said. "I hope that this
tendency will prevail and Armenian society will again acquire stability
and predictability. Russia is ready and interested in assisting in
that by all means."
It was not clear if by "constructive opposition" Karasin meant former
President Levon Ter-Petrosian and his opposition allies. Unlike
Western envoys who have visited Yerevan since March 1, the Russian
diplomat declined to meet Ter-Petrosian.
"The information which the president, the prime minister and
the foreign minister gave us was absolutely sufficient," Karasin
explained. "Having said that, we definitely have information about
what they in the opposition camp think. We have an embassy here, we
have friends in all spheres of Armenian political and public life. So
rest assured that we possess information of various caliber."
Radio Liberty
March 20 2008
Czech Republic
A senior Russian diplomat commended and voiced support for Armenia's
embattled leadership on Thursday as he wrapped up a two-day visit to
Yerevan that focused on the post-election unrest in the country.
"Riots, chaos in the streets is a very dangerous thing for any country,
and I believe that the events of March 1-2 showed the citizens of
Armenia just how dangerous that path can be. It does not solve any
problems and instead brings about instability, uncertainty about the
future," Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said, referring to
the last opposition demonstration in Yerevan marred by deadly clashes
between security forces and protesters.
"In my view, the government of new Armenian statehood has passed this
dangerous phase, this dangerous test and is now stepping on to a very
certain path of political reforms and dialogue," he told journalists.
The political situation in Armenia, Russia's main regional ally,
in the wake of last month's disputed presidential election topped
the agenda of Karasin's talks on Wednesday with departing President
Robert Kocharian and Prime Minister and President-elect Serzh
Sarkisian. Russia has closely followed the post-election developments
in the country, with President Vladimir Putin discussing it in a
March 10 phone call with Sarkisian. While calling for a dialogue
between the Armenian government and the opposition, Putin reaffirmed
the Kremlin's recognition of Sarkisian's victory in the election and
invited the latter to visit Moscow.
Sarkisian's office said on Thursday that the Armenian premier will
fly to Moscow on March 24. It said he will meet Putin and Russia's
President-elect Dmitry Medvedev to discuss "a broad range of issues
of mutual interest."
According to Karasin, Sarkisian and Kocharian now "understand and
control" the domestic political situation. "They have certain plans
for the future, plans for bringing the constructive opposition into
the legal field and starting dialogue," he said. "I hope that this
tendency will prevail and Armenian society will again acquire stability
and predictability. Russia is ready and interested in assisting in
that by all means."
It was not clear if by "constructive opposition" Karasin meant former
President Levon Ter-Petrosian and his opposition allies. Unlike
Western envoys who have visited Yerevan since March 1, the Russian
diplomat declined to meet Ter-Petrosian.
"The information which the president, the prime minister and
the foreign minister gave us was absolutely sufficient," Karasin
explained. "Having said that, we definitely have information about
what they in the opposition camp think. We have an embassy here, we
have friends in all spheres of Armenian political and public life. So
rest assured that we possess information of various caliber."