The International Herald Tribune
May 7, 2004 Friday

No political forces in Russia wish Armenia’s destabilisation

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

In the opinion of Ara Abramyan, President of the World Armenian
Congress and of the Union of the Armenians of Russia, “There are no
political forces in Russia that would wish destabilisation or
internal unrest” in Armenia. “Stabilisation in Armenia is the main
thing,” he has told Itar-Tass.

This prominent public figure and businessman has dismissed assertions
about an ostensible involvement of Russian businessmen of Armenian
descent in the developments in Armenia. He believes that “it is
superfluous to say in this respect that some big Russian
organisations allegedly finance the opposition in Armenia”.

Commenting on the internal political tension in the republic,
Abramyan pointed out that he takes “a negative view of the
developments in Armenia, since this also concerns the Armenians of
Russia and of the whole world”. He recalled that half a million
Armenian nationals live in Russia.

Abramyan is convinced that the authorities and the opposition must
settle the internal political situation in Armenia. “Only at the
negotiating table, not in the street or in foreign countries,”
appealing to international authorities.

As for the opposition’s demands for President Robert Kocharyan’s
resignation, Abramyan believes that “any such demands must be decided
upon exclusively within the legal, constitutional framework”.