ARMENIAN OPPOSITION PARTY SPLITS OVER FOREIGN POLICY

Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
Sept 7 2005

(RFE/RL)
7 September 2005 — Several top members of a leading opposition
party said yesterday that they are quitting in protest over what they
described as the party’s pro-Western stance.

Albert Bazeian, who left the Anrapetutsiun (Republic) party along
with six comrades, said its leaders’ push for Armenia’s membership
in NATO and withdrawal from the Russian-dominated alliances was wrong.

The Anrapetutsiun party leader, former Prime Minister Aram Sarkisian,
has recently called for Armenia to quit the Commonwealth of Independent
States, a loose alliance of ex-Soviet countries.

Armenia has remained a staunch Russian ally and hosts a Russian
military base.

Russia’s energy monopoly assumed financial control of Armenia’s only
nuclear plant in 2003, and earlier this year it also has acquired
the right to manage and receive profits from Armenia’s national grid
company for the next 99 years. Armenia also depends on Russia for
natural-gas supplies.