CONSTRUCTION OF KATB RAILWAY IS DISGRACEFUL DEFEAT OF ARMENIA’S
FOREIGN POLICY, FORMER RA PRIME MINISTER DECLARES

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The construction of
Kars-Akhalkalak-Tbilisi-Baku railway is not an economic but a
political project and it is late for us to prevent this program, we
should have exactly stated our own approaches of regional
cooperation." Khosrov Haroutiunian, Chairman of Christian-Democratic
Union of Armenia, expressed such an opinion at the February 16 press
conference. In his words, to use parliamentary contacts was especially
important in this issue. K. Haroutiunian also said that Armenia is
doomed to form good-neighborly relations with its neighbors.

In the opinion of Hrant Bagratian, Chairman of Azatutiun (Liberty)
Party, former RA Prime Minister, the construction of that railway is
both political and economic issue and "is the disgraceful defeat of
Armenia’s foreign policy." According to his observation, currently
Georgia considers Turkey and Azerbaijan as more friendly countries to
itself than Armenia. This, in H. Bagratian’s words, is conditioned by
presence of Armenian factor in Javakhk and Armenia’s wrong policy in
this issue.

In the opinion of the two speakers, recognition of Armenian Genocide
by Turkey should be considered from point of view of Armenia’s
security. In K. Haroutiunian’s words, "until Turkey has recognized
the Genocide, it can become a source of potential threat for Armenia."