ARMENPRESS

KOCHARIAN QUESTIONS EX-PRESIDENT’S KNOWLEDGE OF
GEOGRAPHY

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS: President Robert
Kocharian has questioned today ex-president Levon
Ter-Petrosian’s knowledge of geography saying a person
(Ter-Petrosian) who declares that Azerbaijan is
Armenia’s only conduit with the outer world must have
vague knowledge of geography.
Kocharian made the remark in a reference to
Ter-Petrosian’s words that Armenia’s main conduit to
the outside world was Azerbaijan and its railway used
to handle 85 percent of Armenia’s external cargo
turnover under the Soviets. Ter-Petrosian said this
while campaigning in Gegharkunik province on January
30.
Speaking to journalists Robert Kocharian said Azeri
railways used to be part of the former Soviet Union’s
cargo transportation system and Armenia did not run
its own foreign trade at that time.
`This means that some people have poor knowledge of
today’s foreign trade structure. Armenia carries out
its foreign trade with Georgia and Russia through
Georgia and by ferryboats across the Black Sea,’
Kocharian said.
He also suggested that Ter-Petrosian’s statement
should be looked at from a different perspective.
`Negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
continue with Azerbaijan hoping to use oil revenues to
archive success and is trying to toughen its stance.
Armenia’s ex-presidnet announces that apart from oil
advantage Azerbaijan has also geographic advantage
over Armenia and is the sole conduit for Armenia to
the outer world… If Azeri officials have the same
level of geography knowledge it is then clear that
they will try to further toughen their stance over the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In general, Ter-Petrosian’s
liking of Azerbaijan is beginning suspicious giving
rise to a set of questions,’ Kocharian said.