GEGHAMIAN REVERTS TO PRO-RUSSIAN RHETORIC
By Ruzanna Khachatrian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
May 2 2007

Artashes Geghamian, a top opposition leader, signaled a radical
re-orientation of his economic and foreign policy agendas towards
Russia as he visited eastern Armenia on an election trip on Wednesday.

"Unfortunately, some of my colleagues keep saying, ‘Let’s go to Europe,
let’s go to America,’ whereas I say ‘Russia,’" Geghamian said, meeting
with opposition supporters in Martuni, a small near the eastern coast
of Lake Sevan.

The outspoken leader of the National Unity Party (AMK) did not
elaborate on the remark. Visiting the northwestern city of Gyumri on a
similar campaign trip late last month, he said Armenia should integrate
its economy into Russia’s in order to achieve sustainable development.

The statement harked back to Geghamian’s past reputation of a
staunchly pro-Russian politician. As recently as during the 2003
presidential election campaign, he called for Armenia’s accession to
the Russia-Belarus union and replacement of the Armenian dram with
the Russian ruble.

Geghamian radically revised his pro-Russian discourse following the
success of Western-backed revolutions in neighboring Georgia and other
former Soviet republics, which raised hopes for similar regime change
in Armenia among local opposition leaders. Addressing an AMK congress
in February 2005, he described the United States as the "main pillar of
the democratization and strengthening of the Republic of Armenia." The
dramatic U-turn did not earn him much support in the West, though.