ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 18, 2004 Thursday

Six Armenians arrested in Equatorial Guinea on state coup charges

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has undertaken steps to clarify
information about Armenian citizens who were arrested in Equatorial
Guinea and to render necessary legal assistance to them.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry official spokesman, Gamlet Gasparyan,
said in a statement that six Armenian nationals had been arrested in
Equatorial Guinea on March 8 on state coup charges. A group of
Armenian civil aviation pilots is working in Equatorial Guinea on
contracts with private companies, the Armenian Foreign Ministry went
on to say.

The Armenian ambassadors in New York and Moscow have met their
counterparts from Equatorial Guinea. Given that Armenia has no
diplomatic representations in Equatorial Africa, the Armenian Foreign
Ministry has turned for assistance to friendly countries, which have
certain influence in Equatorial Guinea, the Armenian Foreign Ministry
said in its statement.