PULL-OUT OF RUSSIAN TROOPS TO DEVELOP COMPETITION – ARMENIAN POLITICIAN

Arminfo
25 Jun 07

Yerevan, 25 June: "After the necessary, in our view, withdrawal of the
Russian military bases from the Armenian territory, a real economic
competition of powers will begin here and Armenians will only win
from this," a member of the political council of the Dashinq Party,
Gnel Glechyan, has told Arminfo.

He said that simultaneously with the withdrawal of the Russian
military bases, it will be necessary to state that Armenia is not
going to join NATO and deploy any foreign armed formations on its
territory at all. Given this, geopolitical players will only be able
to develop an economic competition in the region and make investments.

"It is obvious that they have their own interests in the region, and
we are unable to bring them together. The ongoing conflicts around
the whole South Caucasus and the conflicts yet to occur are a vivid
proof of this," Glechyan said.

He also noted that speaking about the necessity of the pull-out
of military bases from Armenia, Dashinq Party is not making any
anti-Russian steps.

Glechyan thinks that all countries in the region must exclude foreign
military presence in their territories, including on the border
with Russia.

Answering the question how this is possible in the condition when
Georgia intends to enter the Euro-Atlantic alliance, Glechyan said that
our neighbours lead this policy because "we have turned Armenia into
a monster, we keep troops here and say: dear powers, please compete,
moreover – in the military sphere".