The Messenger, Georgia
Dec 3 2004

Ukraine’s Armenians apologize for their president

According to the Russian newspaper Russkii Kurier, Ukraine’s
Armenians condemned the actions of the Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan who congratulated Yanukovich on his victory in advance. The
Armenian community in Ukraine expressed its surprise to President
Kocharyan due to his premature congratulations to Yanukovich, the
paper states.

They stressed in an address to the president that it was inadmissible
to act so rashly when the entire global community has become annoyed
by the falsification of the second round of voting and is awaiting
the decision of Ukraine’s Supreme Court concerning this issue. A film
director, one of the founders of the Union of Armenians of Ukraine,
Roman Balayan, signed the address to Kocharyan on behalf “of all the
honest Armenians.”

Next, members of the union addressed the people of Ukraine and
apologized for the actions of their president and declared their
solidarity with Ukraine’s people, “who strive to live in a country in
which constitutional rights are protected.” They also wished peace,
welfare, harmony and prosperity to Ukraine and consider Ukraine as
their second native land.

In response to Kocharyan’s statement, the press service of Victor
Yushchenko says they are sure the president of Armenia, “as the
representative of a very ancient nation of the world with great
cultural heritage” will correct his mistake in the near future.