ACNIS: FIRST-EVER RUSSIA SUPPORTS OPPOSITION

Aysor
April 29 2010
Armenia

Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS) held
Thursday a discussion entitled "Revolt in Kyrgyzstan – a lesson for
Armenia?" aiming at considering the issues, related to the protests
and changes of power in Kyrgyzstan. During the discussions the speeches
were given by Representative of the OSCE Military and Political Office
Grigor Mikhailovsky and chief expert at ACNIS Manvel Sarkisian. ACNIS
Director Richard Giragosian will make remarks on the discussion’s
results.

ACNIS administrative director Karapet Kalenchian said that despite
Kyrgyzstan is the poorest post-soviet state, importance of its
geopolitical location make the recent riots in Kyrgyzstan, resulted
in removal of the unpopular government by waves of protests, an
interesting subject to other states in the region.

"It’s important that Russia first-ever supported opposition,
not authorities," said Kalenchian. He said that Kyrgyzstan has
common northern board with Kazakhstan, through which the gas and oil
pipelines – among them Russian – are passing to China; and it has a
common border with China in the south.

Kalenchian pointed out that despite the facts that migrant workers
from the poor Kyrgyzstan are working mainly in Russia, and that the
ousted president Kurmanbek Bakiyev led the country with his relatives,
however, Kyrgyzstan is the CSTO member and there are Russian and
US bases located on the Kyrgyz territory. Karapet Kalenchian asked
the participants to offer opinions and views on the reasons for the
Kyrgyz revolt, ways of removal of the government, and what a lesson
Armenia should draw from that.