ARMENIANS CONSIDER AZERBAIJAN, TURKEY AND GEORGIA ENEMY, OPINION POLL SAYS
Azeri Press Agency
19 Sen. 2006 13:56
Opinion poll was conducted among 2,000 respondents in Armenia by the
order of a US state body, APA reports.
According to the poll, 14.9 percent of correspondents rely on Artashes
Gegamyan among politicians. He is followed by Gagik Charukyan (13.5%),
Robert Khocharian (12.3%), Arthur Bagdasaryan (8.9%), Raffi Ovanesyan
(6.7%), Tigran Karapetyan (5.6%), Stepan Damirchiyan (4.1%), Serj
Sarkisyan (2.5%), Vazgen Manukyan (2.1%) and Aram Karapetyan (0.8%).
79.6 percent of Armenians are in positive opinion on Russia and 49
percent on the United States. The matter is Armenians are in negative
opinion on neighboring countries. The respondents consider Turkey
(80.1 percent), Azerbaijan (86.5 percent) and Georgia (54.7 percent)
enemy countries.
The poll also clarified the question on which subject can have a
positive impact on the resolution of the Nagorno Garabagh conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The respondents mentioned Russia
(43.8%), U.S (33.3%), UN (20.7%) and France (17.9%) among positive
subjects.
41.6 percent believe the Garabagh conflict can be solved through
international mediators, 40.7 percent through making trade-offs,
11.5 percent through force.
Armenians do not have unambiguous approach to the solution of the
conflict. One in two Armenians want Nagorno Garabagh to be unified
with Armenia and the other wants it to be independent. 55.2 percent
advocated holding a referendum on the status of Nagorno Garabagh and
21.6 percent stood against this.
Armenians’ opinions clash in terms of the issue who must participate
in the referendum. 56.7 percent think the voters should be the
current population of Nagorno Garabagh, 15.6 percent think anyone,
15.3 percent only refugees from Nagorno Garabagh, 5.6 percent think
those lived in the region till 1991 and 5.3 percent thinks Armenian
and Azerbaijani citizens should participate in the referendum.
57.7 percent of respondents advocated opening of Armenia-Turkey
borders and one in three Armenians is against this.