Shirak Torosyan, President of the Javakhk Patriotic Union, today brushed aside any charges directed at him as baseless and said that Georgian authorities have not been able to justify banning him from entering that country.

Torosyan argued that the Armenian government should be doing more on his behalf, despite the stiff resistance shown by Tbilisi.

“I understand that the intransigence of Tbilisi is a major challenge for Yerevan. But I know that the matter is being raised and must be resolved in the context of bilateral relations,” Torosyan said at a press conference today.

The Javakhk activist said that his organization is getting its message through to the Armenians in Georgia even though he can’t set foot across the border.

Torosyan, a Republican Party MP in the Armenian parliament, has been persona non grata in Georgia since 2009.

As to whether or not he will run in next year’s parliamentary election, Torosyan said that he hasn’t yet discussed the matter with his party.