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RUMORS OVER ARMENIAN PRESIDENT'S SUDDEN CHANGE OF PLAN
The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 26 2011
All of a sudden, officials in Yerevan contradicted the statement
of the Georgian president's spokesperson about the planned visit of
Armenia's President Serzh Sarkisian to Georgia in early November.
Officially, Tbilisi is not making any comment about this whereas
Armenian and Russian media disseminate different versions of why the
visit was cancelled. Already on September 29, 2011 Georgian information
agencies announced Armenia's president would visit Georgia later this
year. According to them, Armenian President Sarkisian was planning to
visit Tbilisi this fall, but no precise date was known and a definite
date would only be known by the beginning of October. On October 18
Saakashvili's press secretary stated that on November 1 the Armenian
president would visit Georgia for three days. On October 21 however
the spokesman for Armenia's Foreign Ministry stated that during these
dates there were no scheduled visits of the Armenian president at all.
The visit of the Armenian president was planned and then canceled
obviously. As to why, the Russian and Armenian media are offering
different explanations. The first version coming from Armenia is
connected with the comments of Saakashvili when the rescue works
during the recent landslide tragedy in Armenia went on very slowly.
The Georgian president criticized the activities of the Armenian side
saying that in his country things would have been done quicker. The
Armenian media also recollected some other cases when Saakashvili
compared the two countries and criticized Armenia.
The second version suggests that the Armenian side did not like the
fact that officials in Tbilisi announced the Georgia visit before
the Armenian president's trip on October 23 to Russia to meet
Russia's President Dmitri Medvedev. The Armenian analyst Viktor
Yakubian commented that the cancellation of the visit is a signal
that Yerevan is not going to follow the Georgian way or its reforms
and that Saakashvili should be more careful in relations with Armenia.
One way or another, Armenian-Georgian relations have not been helped
by the cancellation of the presidential trip, whatever the reason.
This fact does not bode well for two nations which accepted long ago
that they are doomed to be friendly.
The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 26 2011
All of a sudden, officials in Yerevan contradicted the statement
of the Georgian president's spokesperson about the planned visit of
Armenia's President Serzh Sarkisian to Georgia in early November.
Officially, Tbilisi is not making any comment about this whereas
Armenian and Russian media disseminate different versions of why the
visit was cancelled. Already on September 29, 2011 Georgian information
agencies announced Armenia's president would visit Georgia later this
year. According to them, Armenian President Sarkisian was planning to
visit Tbilisi this fall, but no precise date was known and a definite
date would only be known by the beginning of October. On October 18
Saakashvili's press secretary stated that on November 1 the Armenian
president would visit Georgia for three days. On October 21 however
the spokesman for Armenia's Foreign Ministry stated that during these
dates there were no scheduled visits of the Armenian president at all.
The visit of the Armenian president was planned and then canceled
obviously. As to why, the Russian and Armenian media are offering
different explanations. The first version coming from Armenia is
connected with the comments of Saakashvili when the rescue works
during the recent landslide tragedy in Armenia went on very slowly.
The Georgian president criticized the activities of the Armenian side
saying that in his country things would have been done quicker. The
Armenian media also recollected some other cases when Saakashvili
compared the two countries and criticized Armenia.
The second version suggests that the Armenian side did not like the
fact that officials in Tbilisi announced the Georgia visit before
the Armenian president's trip on October 23 to Russia to meet
Russia's President Dmitri Medvedev. The Armenian analyst Viktor
Yakubian commented that the cancellation of the visit is a signal
that Yerevan is not going to follow the Georgian way or its reforms
and that Saakashvili should be more careful in relations with Armenia.
One way or another, Armenian-Georgian relations have not been helped
by the cancellation of the presidential trip, whatever the reason.
This fact does not bode well for two nations which accepted long ago
that they are doomed to be friendly.