CDU LEADER SAYS AZERBAIJAN MAY BECOME A NATURAL PARTNER OF RUSSIA

Panorama.am
14:52 25/10/06

Georgia gets out of Russian sphere of influence and the role of Armenia
as a strategic partner diminishes, Khosrov Harutunyan, chairman of
Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told a discussion today. In his
words, Russia will start looking for new ways of realization of its
strategic goals and in this sense Azerbaijan becomes the most natural
partner. "In the process of realization of its programs in the South
Russia will look at Azerbaijan and Iran as its possible partners,"
he said.

Speaking about the tension in Russian-Georgian relations, Harutunyan
pointed out that Georgian authorities clearly uttered their disposition
inclining towards NATO trying to oust Russia from South Caucasus. In
the words of Harutunyan, Russia was not ready for this conflict and
today Russia loses its rating in the international community – she
it looked at as a non-democratic country.