Mediamax, Armenia
March 10 2009

Georgian leader’s remarks not meant to offend Armenia – spokesperson

Yerevan, 10 March: Spokeswoman to the Georgian president, Alana
Gagloyeva, stated in an interview to Mediamax that "Mikhail
Saakashvili’s words were not meant to offend the Armenian government".

Alana Gagloyeva said this, commenting at Mediamax’s request on the
statement of the Georgian president on "collapse of Armenian economy".

"The speech of the Georgian president was related to concrete economic
events in the region. Since the national currency of Armenia was
devaluated, this, according to us, has influenced the economic
situation in Armenia on the whole. Mikhail Saakashvili also stated
that Georgia’s economy is more protected, since Georgia does not have
such volume of trade-economic relation with Russia, as Armenia
does. Thus, the words of the Georgian president were not meant to
offend the Armenian government," the spokeswoman stated.

Answering the question of Mediamax on whether the Georgian president
had really stated that "Armenia’s economy has collapsed", Alana
Gagloyeva said the following: "Most likely, the statement of the
Georgian president was misunderstood."