Abashidze’s Visit to Armenia Increases Opposition’s Fears

In the wake of meeting with President Shevardnadze on November 10, head of the Adjara Autonomous Republic Aslan Abashidze visited Yerevan and held talks with Armenian President Robert Kocharian on November 11.

According to the official reports elections and post-election developments in Georgia were discussed during the meeting.

The visit follows after the phone conversations between Eduard Shevardnadze and Robert Kocharian earlier today. Officials say elections were the top issue discussed during the conversation.

Mikheil Saakashvili, the opposition leader, who demands resignation of President Shevardnadze, expressed concern regarding the Abashidze’s visit to Armenia.

He said today, while commenting Abashidze’s visit, that Shevardnadze and Abashidze are “masterminding conspiracy against Georgia.”

He supposed that Shevardnadze and Abashidze “might use the Russian military forces deployed in Armenia and Batumi [Adjarian capital] to provoke civil confrontation in Georgia.”

Saakashvili said that ethnic Armenian minority living in south-western Georgian province of Samtskhe-Javakheti, might also be involved in the provocation.

Reports say that the Russian defense minister Sergei Ivanov also visited today Armenia. Earlier today Ivanov said that the Russian military forces “deployed in Georgia will not be involved in the country’s internal affairs.” He said that the force will be used only in case of attack against the Russian militaries in Georgia.

Zurab Zhvania, another leader of the opposition said that the recent developments, including meeting between Shevardnadze and Abashidze, Shevardnadze’s phone conversations with Russian President Putin and later with Armenian President and Abashidze’s visit to Armenia “invoke assumption that Shevardnadze intends to transfer power to Abashidze.”