Armenian politicians upbeat on ties with USA
Mediamax news agency
6 Apr 06
Yerevan, 6 April: Armenian politicians discussed prospects for the
development of Armenian-US relations at the National Press Club today.
The leader of the opposition Constitutional Right Union, Grant
Khachatryan, assessed positively the US role in the region, Mediamax
has reported.
He said that the struggle between the USA and the European Union for
influence on the South Caucasus was of great significance for the
development of democratic processes in the countries of the region.
Kiro Manoyan, a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation –
Dashnaktsutyun, said that “realities in our region” were the main
obstacle to the development of Armenian-US relations. Meanwhile, he
said that Armenia was the second country in the world for the volume
of the US aid per capita. Manoyan added that the USA was the only
country which provided the direct government aid to Nagornyy Karabakh
every year.
The leader of the Christian Democratic Party, Khosrov Arutyunyan,
wished that Armenian-US relations might strengthen Armenia’s role in
the South Caucasus. Meanwhile, he said: “Armenia should proceed from
its national interests, not jeopardizing its relations, especially
ties with Iran.” The leader of the National Democratic Party,
Shavarsh Kocharyan, said that the US administration was interested in
the development of relations with Armenia and the safeguarding of the
republic’s energy security. He did not rule out the construction of a
modern nuclear power plant in Armenia with the US support.