In Yerevan they have an experience of saving Georgian Presidents that were being rejected by their people. In 1993 the then President Zviad Gamsakhuradia deposed by the opposition applied to the President Levon Ter-Petrosyan. The Armenian President gave him an asylum. Now there is a danger that the same situation may repeat. Eduard Shevardnadze that came to power as a result of a revolution was not able to control the situation in the country as the armed troops of the followers of Gamsakhuradia had occupied the western part of Georgia and were moving in direction of Tbilisi. This time it was Shevardnadze to ask the support of Armenia. It is known that he asked the official Yerevan to send its troops and to protect him from the armed rebellions. It is natural once the Armenian troops would have settled the situation in Tbilisi, they could remain in Javakhq. However, Shevardnadze asked the Armenians to help him, though Levon Ter-Petrosyan preferred to show him only moral assistance, thus preventing the start of another new conflict in the Caucasus.
There are unconfirmed data that while being in Yerevan, Abashidze has also met with Minister of defense of Russia Sergey Ivanov, who was also in Yerevan with a visit. Abashidze is an experienced political figure who enjoys trust both in Yerevan and Moscow. It can be assumed that his figure is much more important for the Armenians than of other Georgian politicians. This is connected not only with the fact that In Ajarian autonomy, unlike other regions of Georgia, the Armenians have all the necessary conditions to maintain their national traditions. Abashidze has a reputation of a conservator in Yerevan, in the finest sense of the word. This fact was taken into account by Shevardnadze when he was deciding to send Abashidze to the neighboring countries.
Besides, the advisers of Shevardnadze were counting also on the fact in Yerevan they do not like some of the oppositional leaders. And it is true. Yerevan is really concerned with the possible destabilization in Georgia. But are we sure that the stability can be achieved only with Shevardnadze? Why should Armenia intervene in the internal affairs of the neighboring country? There is no clear answer to this question.
