MOSCOW RESPONDS TO PUTIN’S YEREVAN VISIT

Azg/arm
30 March 05

I did not notice many articles in the Russian press concerning the
Yerevan visit of President Vladimir Putin and those I read really
surprised me: the flourishing Russian-Armenian relations please not
everyone. Even if I came across stinging motives, they were equally
addressed to both states. The headlines themselves spoke well for the
implication of the visit. “Putin Visits the Last Outpost in CIS”,
“Putin Trying to Keep the Last Ally by His Side”. One of the
newspapers hailed the visit – “The Yerevan Gambit”.

The cunning Russian press guessed right indeed the main purpose of its
president’s “tour”. “The protocol pompous arrangements that the
presidents opted in were a veil to hide the tension of the dialogue
Embarrassed over colorful revolutions in the CIS, Russia fears to
lose its nearly the last trustworthy leg”, wrote Commersant. The paper
highlighted Russia’s hopes to transport its troops and armament from
Georgian bases to Armenia. Meanwhile, the paper writes that Armenia
gave consent to this initiative but putting forward a number of its
own preconditions.

The state-run Rossiyskaya Gazeta points out, “A political libretto is
ready for the Days of Russia launching today in Armenia”.

Putting in a nutshell that Armenia is the most faithful partner of
Russia, Izvestia tracks down why, “=80¦ because its relations with US
policy’s outposts – Azerbaijan and Turkey – are historically
complicated. It’s possible that Yerevan’s policy will change but not
in a rather long perspective”.

Remaining faithful to the gutter press manner, Moskovski Commersant
thinks that Putin is rather popular in Armenia and takes the chance to
be witty, “Perhaps more than Kocharian himself”. The author of the
article, AlexanderBudberg, could not help displaying his anti-Armenian
“astuteness”, “Alliance with Russia is of great significance for the
republic. They say shamelessly in Yerevan that the country lives on
the money that Armenians worldwide send to their homeland. But at
least half of the country has moved to Russia”.

Interestingly, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, not distinguished for pro-Armenian
views, was rather moderate in its “independent” approach. “Visit of
the Moscow delegation was called to show that there are still
countries among the post-soviet republics that are not under the
West’s influence yet”.

By Ruben Hayrapetian in Moscow

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress