ARMENIAN LEADER BLAMES EX-PRESIDENT FOR HIS "LOVE" FOR RIVAL AZERBAIJAN

Public TV
Feb 1 2008
Armenia

[Correspondent] [Former President] Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s statement that
Azerbaijan is the main route connecting Armenia with the outside world
leads President [Robert] Kocharyan to conclude that Ter-Petrosyan
was speaking aboutdomestic shipments during the Soviet era when 85
per cent of goods would arrive in Armenia through the territory
ofAzerbaijan. However, this statement can also be assessed from
another point of view, Kocharyan says.

[Kocharyan, speaking to journalists] I think you must have a very vague
knowledge of geography to make such astatement. Just open up the map
and you will see that due to its geographical position, Azerbaijan
does not have such a meaning to us. Maybe, he [Ter-Petrosyan] said
this because during the Soviet era 85 per cent of shipments would
arrivein Armenia through Azerbaijan but those were the domestic cargo
circulation. Armenia was not a subject of foreign trade at those times
and could not do so [trade with foreign countries], naturally. This
also shows that [some] people are notaware of Armenia’s current
foreign trade structure. When trading with Europe, the USA and other
countries,Azerbaijan is not in a [geographical] position to be of
importance to us. We carry out our trade with Russia viaGeorgia,
via the Black Sea.

I would suggest viewing those statements from another aspect. Talks
are currently under way on the Karabakh issue.The oil factor has
turned Azerbaijan’s head and this country is trying to toughen its
position because of its oilexpectations. Now, the first president of
Armenia [Levon Ter-Petrosyan] is saying that Azerbaijan has not only
an oiladvantage but also an advantage in terms of location, that
Azerbaijan is the main route for Armenia to the outsideworld. If
the geographical knowledge in Azerbaijan was on the same level,
they would try to make their position eventougher on the Karabakh
settlement issue. Just imagine, in addition to oil, "we are also the
main route for Armeniato the outside world."

Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s love for Azerbaijan is starting to show unhealthy
signs. This raises many questions forme, and suspicions that smell
quite badly.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress