Interfax News Agency, Russia
July 25 2008

Yerevan follows developments in Armenian-populated district in Georgia

YEREVAN July 25

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has voiced hope that the situation in
Samtskhe-Javakheti, an area in Georgia with an Armenian population,
will be settled within the framework of the law.

"We hope that the situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti will be settled by
peaceful means and within the framework of the law," Interfax was told
at the ministry’s press service on Friday.

"We are following the developments and are in daily contact at various
levels and in different directions," a spokesman said.

A bomb went off near the home of the head of the police chief of
Akhalkalaki, the district capital of Samtskhe-Javakheti, on July 18.

Nobody was hurt. The same night police officers and armed civilians
burst into the house of the head of the United Javakh Democratic
Alliance Gurgen Shirinian to detain him in relation to the explosion
and conducted a search in his house. One police officer was killed
during the search. Shirinian was blamed for the death. Later reports
said that he fled.

The Armenian opposition party New Times issued a statement on Thursday
in relation to the developments in Javakheti. "So far the Armenian
authorities have not taken any steps to resolve the problems of
Armenians at Armenian-Georgian meetings of any level," the statement
says.

"This is an indication of the inaction of the Armenian authorities and
a defeat on the foreign political arena," the statement says.