SHEVARDNADZE DENIES ALLEGATIONS ON PLOT WITH ARMENIAN LOBBY

Tert.am
23.08.11

A former Georgia president, Edward Shevardnadze, has denied reports
that the 2003 coup in his country was staged in the aftermath of a
secret plot with the Armenian lobby.

Speaking to the Georgian news agency Asaval Dasaval he characterized
such allegations a nonsense.

According to Gruzia Online, the ex-Georgian leader agreed that the
resorts in his country are now full of Turks and Armenians who have
what he called a negative impact on Georgia.

“Our country has unfortunately remained without a leader today, with
satans becoming or having almost become the owners of churches,”
he said.

As for a possible collaboration between the country’s incumbent
president, Mikheil Saakashvili, and pro-Armenian circles, Shavardnadze
said he could not confirm whether Saakashvili is really backed by
the Armenian lobby.

“All I can say is that my cooperation with Armenia and Azerbaijan
was based on genuine friendship and good-neighborly relations, and
[Soviet Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders] Heydar Aliyev and Karen
Demirchyan were my friends,” he added.

The Georgian labor party members have been alleging for a long time
that Saakashvili follows the instructions of the Armenian lobby. The
media has numerously speculated the question on his having Armenian
roots.