Igor Ivanov: Georgia’s Rose Revolution “against Values and Principles” of CoE, OSCE

Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Igor Ivanov said in a statement distributed by the Press Office of the Security Council of Russia that there is no reason to expect that the events like those in Georgia and Ukraine would affect other CIS states. “This is not a trend,” said Ivanov.

At the same time, Ivanov argued: “Do you think a change of authorities through [use of] a street [protest] in Georgia is democracy? Do you think this way of changing the government is in line with the values and principles provided by various documents of the Council of Europe and OSCE?”

He also said that “democracy is participation in elections, wherein people have the right to freely express themselves,” and argued that “no one in the CIS countries want revolutionary events, everybody wants stability.”