SITUATION IN SOUTH CAUCASUS IS BECOMING EXPLOSIVE: LEADER OF
NON-PARLIAMENTARY OPPOSITION PARTY

ARMINFO News Agency
October 19, 2006 Thursday

"The situation in the region is becoming explosive due to changes of
geopolitical trends," said Hovhanness Hovhannissyan, Leader of the
non-parliamentary Liberal-Progressive Party, at the Discussion Club
"Pastark," Thursday.

Maintenance of status-quo in the region is impossible. The geopolitical
situation requires specific decisions by all the players. The tension
of the Russian-Georgian relations is connected with the attempt of
Tbilisi authorities to wage independent domestic and foreign policy,
which aroused an inadequate response of Russia, he thinks. Azerbaijan
displays serious progress in the state building. As regards Russia,
the political elite in that country is encouraged with the inflow of
oil dollars. However, they use these funds quite irrationally. Another
characteristic feature of Russia as a country is intolerance to
representatives of other ethnic groups.

At the same time, our co- called strategic partner has faced such
big problems as demographic crisis, drug addiction and alcoholism, H.

Hovhannissyan said.

The oppositionist thinks that the present situation requires Armenia
to refuse from its complementary policy and to declare exact foreign
political guide- lines. He is sure that reason of such an unfavorable
geopolitical situation for Armenia is its full dependence on Russia
"due to the support of the illegitimate authorities of Armenia by
Vladimir Putin."