ROBERT KOCHARYAN LEAVES FOR GEORGIA

Lragir.am
14-09-2007 13:05:09

The Armenian president Robert Kocharyan is soon visiting Georgia
on Mikhail Sahakashvili’s invitation. The speaker of the president
of Armenia Victor Soghomonyan announced September 14 that Robert
Kocharyan’s one-day visit is friendly. The presidents of Armenia and
Georgia will meet in Batumi. Victor Soghomonyan said he is not aware
of the details of the agenda of the presidents’ meeting but he thinks
the entire specter of bilateral relations will be discussed, including
the detention of Armenian citizens at the Georgian border. As to the
construction of a penitentiary in Javakheti, perhaps it will not be
discussed. Recently Member of Parliament Shirak Torosyan from the
Republican faction has voiced concern regarding this penitentiary. He
said the penitentiary would turn Javakheti into a place of exile, a
criminal territory, and the Armenian government must prevent it. The
speaker of the Armenian president said there are penitentiaries in
different places in Armenia, such as Artik, Kosh, Sevan, but these
areas have not become criminal territories. The president of Armenia
does not think the penitentiary is dangerous, and will hardly touch
upon this issue in the meeting with Sahakashvili.

In the news conference the speaker of the Armenian president released
the schedule of the upcoming visits of the president. In early October
Robert Kocharyan will take part in the CIS summit and the summit of
the Collective Security Pact Organization in Dushanbe. In Dushanbe
Eurasian Economic Community will also hold a summit, and the president
of Armenia was invited as an observer since Armenia is an observer
country in this organization.

Robert Kocharyan will have a traditional visit to Brussels where he
will meet with the leaders of European organizations. The visit will
be in mid-October. The president of Armenia was invited to Finland by
the president of this country, and Robert Kocharyan will visit Finland
in early November. More visits to other countries are expected, as
well as visits of other countries’ presidents to Armenia. However,
the timing of these visits is not distinct yet. According to Victor
Soghomonyan, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, is expected
to visit Armenia this year, but the timing and the agenda of the visit
are to be made distinct through the embassies. Victor Soghomonyan said
the Armenian and Iranian presidents will probably discuss economic
cooperation, as well as other issues.