Today, Aravot.am asked Zohrab Yeganyan, the spokesman Gyumri Mayor Samvel Balasanyan, whether for meeting Vladimir Putin they are going to bring people out to the streets, particularly employees of state agencies, who will worthily meet the President of Russia. In response to the question, Zohrab Yeganyan said, “We still do not have the itinerary of such high-rank official’s visit, and there is no need to bring people out to the streets. I am sure that given the previous visits of high-rank officials to Gyumri: the Prime Minister of the Great Britain, the Soviet Union’s last leader, Dmitry Medvedev, and now, according to the official release, during the visit of Vladimir Putin, there has always been an interest to the citizens to came out to the street. In other words, even if there is such a need merely for the protocol, I do not think that people should be forcedly brought to the streets.
This will not happen, and I think that there will be no need for it, given the previous visits the citizens are always interested to come out to the streets and to see how it all happens. After all, one of the superpower leaders of the world is visiting our city, and by itself, it is very interesting to everybody.” Would the streets taking to Gyumri theatre be closed on December 2? We have already heard complaints of owners of the stores opposite the theatre saying that Vladimir Putin’s several hours’ visit will paralyzed their one day shopping. Zohrab Yeganyan said that it is not appropriate to discuss what will happen on that day, as any move of the presidents does not proceed by the regular traffic regime, because there are security matters and protocol-related issues, and in any country of the world, when the first figures of the country are moving, certain inconveniences happen. We also asked the Gyumri Mayor’s press secretary as to what extent it is realistic to allocate certain territories of Gyumri possession to Russian military base, whether the Russian side has applied to them with such request.
We are also reminded that Gyumri residents are quite concerned about this topic. “I am very much intrigued when they say that Gyumri residents are quite concerned, what sources they are using. For about a week, I am intensively trying to understand the mood of the citizens, and I would say that it is very positive. Gyumri is the most Russian city in Armenia, if one can say so, because Russian traditions are preserved there, Russian 103rd base is there, there are always contacts with Russians, we take part in their holidays, they take part in our holidays, in other words there are positive expectations. As for the territories, let me say that the Armenian-Russian military relations are regulated by international treaty, i.e., the role of the community, here, is not so high, because if there’s a respective government decree to provide territory to such-and-such military base of the state, the community is obliged to implement it.”
Pursuant to Zohrab Yeganyan, if there is an increase of Russians in numbers, it will bring vivacity to Gyumri as a city, and it would be economically profitable. And what does Zohrab Yeganyan think about the opinion voiced by RPA Gyumri MP Sukias Avetisyan that it is possible that a part of Gyumri be given to the Russian military base as a closed habitation, in other words, to become a half-closed city. According to our interlocutor, Gyumri is a city of sports and culture, and such cities should be possibly open. “It’s another matter if there are military units, they are already within reasonable term: naturally, there would not be free entrance and exit, if the part of the city, where a military object is deployed, there is no entrance and exit, then it is still the case. In other word, I do not think that anything extraordinary will happen. And, as for the city of Gyumri be a closed city, I am skeptical about it,” said our interlocutor.
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Nune AREVSHATYAN
