Georgia's recent step does not affect Armenia's interests

PanARMENIAN.Net - Georgia's withdrawing from CIS will not affect Armenian-Georgian relations, Western Armenians' Studies Center Director Haykazun Alvrtsyan told today a news conference in Yerevan. Armenia attaches so much importance to Armenian-Georgian relations that it is not absolutely interested whether or not Georgia will be a CIS member state, the expert said, recalling Armenia's refusal to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia's independence.



According to him, Armenia has assumed an increasingly important role in the region. Thus, Iran's interest in cooperating with Yerevan may make Armenia attractive for Georgia as well. Besides, following Russian-Georgian war, Georgia has found itself in «miserable» state, the speaker finds.



After Russian-Turkish rapprochement, Georgia no longer acts as a «whimsical» child, the expert noted. «No wonder Saakashvili states Armenia is Russia's strategic ally, although it is not enshrined in any document.»



On August 12, 2008, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili made a decision on quitting CIS, as a sign of protest against Russia's military operation aimed at forcing peace in South Ossetia. President's decision was followed by relevant legal procedures which took certain time. On August 18, Georgia officially and ultimately withdrew from CIS.