ARMENIANS PROTEST WITHDRAWAL OF TROOPS FROM SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
May 30, 2006 Tuesday 4:49 PM MSK

Several hundred people have held a protest in Yerevan opposing the
withdrawal of Russian home to a significant number of Armenians,
an Interfax correspondent reports.

“History has shown that when Russians leave, Armenians soon follow
them,” Aram Karapetian, leader of the New Times party, which organized
the rally, said.

“Radical changes will happen after Russian troops pull out of the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region. In particular, the socio-political situation
will change as a result of the resettlement of Meskhetian Turks, which
will result in clashes with the Armenians who live in the region,”
he said.

After the Russian troops withdraw, serious destabilizing factors will
emerge in the region, he said.

Armenia and Georgia are planning to sign a border demarcation treaty
and “we believe that the issue of Samtskhe-Javakheti should be fully
settled before the document is signed,” he said.