Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 15 2005
Armenians in Georgia oppose withdrawal of Russian military bases
Baku, March 14, AssA-Irada
Armenians residing in the Akhalkalaki city of Georgia held an action
on Sunday in protest against the withdrawal of Russian military bases
from the country.
6,000 people participated in the action, Armenian sources reported.
The Georgian law-enforcement bodies said, however, that the real
figure was 1,500.
The protesters claimed that the local population will become
unemployed if the Russian military bases are withdrawn from the
country, as half of them work at the bases. They said that they will
further appeal to the Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili over
this.
Akhalkalaki is densely populated by Armenians.*