Open news feed Close news feed
A A

SERGE SARGSYAN WANTED TO BE IMPRESSIVE?

Politics

“All territories should not be settled, but logically we must start with the relatively easier ones. The most important is to inspire people that we won’t surrender the repopulated territories,” said Kiro Manoyan, the head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau's Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office.

In answer to A1+'s question on Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan's statement that Aghdam is not an Armenian territory, Mr. Manoyan said, “Sargsyan's statement might have been tactics, but it is wrong because it may become a strategy and we may suddenly start believing our words. I think we must mind our business instead of trying to please someone.”

According to Kiro Manoyan while speaking about territories we must be guided by security guarantees.

Kiro Manoyan also dwelt on the NKR president Arkady Ghukasyan's statement. According to him the NKR government cannot settle the territories without financial assistance.

“If there is a policy of settlement, it is always possible to raise funds,” Kiro Manoyan said.

“Three years ago the ARF Dashnaktsutyun initiated pan-Armenian fundraising for the settlement. The patriarchs, the national parties and the benevolent organizations were supposed to participate. An agreement had been prepared to sign in Echmiadzin; therefore many people had arrived in Armenia. At the last moment the signing was cancelled for different grounds. The main reason, I think, is political. The worry that if we organized settlement, we would undergo pressure, I think that was the reason. And I say we must resist pressure,” said Kiro Manoyan. Kiro Manoyan says the settlement of territories requires a national policy not government funds.

Kiro Manoyan does not anticipate any progress in the negotiations by 2009. “The Karabakh conflict settlement is not priority for the mediators. Therefore they don't exert pressure.” The next president of Karabakh must announce that the talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are not effective, and demand Karabakh's involvement in the talks, and Armenia must recognize the independence of Karabakh considering the ineffectiveness of the talks and Azerbaijan's unyielding stance, Manoyan said.