KOCHARIAN: ATTEMPTS TO EXCLUDE RUSSIA FROM SOUTH CAUCASUS WILL LEAD TO NO GOOD

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.11.2007 14:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ New players entered the South Caucasus region
recently, however attempts to exclude Russia from South Caucasus will
lead to no good, Armenian President Robert Kocharian said at Imperial
Alexander University of Helsinki.

"Assessments of Russia’s role may differ.

Nevertheless, it would be useful not to aggravate the situation by
ousting an experienced and influential power from the region. Russia
is a stabilizing factor for us," he said adding that Russia won’t be
dominating like the USSR.

Commenting on the Russian-Armenian relations, President Kocharian
described them as ‘advanced’.

"These relations embrace dynamic political dialogue, economy and
military technical cooperation. Russia claims to become the major
investor in Armenia.

Bilateral relations are positively developing," he said, ITAR-TASS
reports.

It’s worth mentioning that the Armenian President made his formal
speech in English but preferred Russian when meeting Finnish scholars,
representatives of the Armenian Diaspora and journalists.