"Russia remains Armenia’s best friend": leader of Armenian Communists

Regnum, Russia
Aug. 25, 2006

"The ethnic crimes in Russia cannot be regarded as an attitude of the
whole Russian people towards Armenians," the First Secretary of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia Ruben Tovmassyan
said during a news conference on August 24. He said that "Russia has
been and is Armenia’s best friend."

"I condemn ethnic crimes, but in the case of Vigen Abramyants we
don’t know the motives but just the fact of murder," Tovmassyan said
and noted that "in Yerevan too they sometimes kill passers-by."

Tovmassyan said that it is a shame to raise a hand and shout "Heil
Hitler" in a country who has defeated the Fascism. As regards political
parties, they should not very much rely on the US or the EU. "Only
Russia is our closest partner," Tovmassyan said.

Almost 10 crimes have been committed against ethnic Armenians in Russia
since the beginning of 2006. One of them, the murder of student Vigen
Abramyants at the Pushkinskaya subway station, was stopped a few days
ago "because the Moscow Subway Prosecutor’s Office is unable to detect
the people who have committed the crime."