In response to a question of www.aravot.am whether he had come to the congress of the Free Democrats to show courtesy, because he had been invited, or to find out the intentions of that party and the mode of their participation in the upcoming election first hand, Aram Karapetyan, the leader of the New Times Party (NTP), said, “Yes to the first option, because they are my good friends and part of them were in prison with me. No to the second option, because I understand quite well who they are and I treat it normally and thirdly I have different reasons too, because the Free Democrats and we are from different geopolitical poles. I want to hear their arguments, what they want, how they see the geopolitical developments in the future, because I am interested in all that. This party is more Western-oriented, isn’t it? So, I am interested how they see the future.”
The NTP leader added at the same time that he had his own opinion on geopolitical issues and he thought that Armenia would still remain under Russia’s influence for a long time and the West didn’t want to integrate us, it just didn’t want. “It is a paradox, but it is the reality,” stated Aram Karapetyan. In response to our question whether the Free Democrats, as a newly-established force, had a chance to appear in the parliament as a result of the upcoming election, “I wouldn’t like to talk about that, but I can clearly say one thing – I will be very happy, if they do. I am under the impression that they can appear only as a member of an alliance,” stated the NTP leader.
In his welcoming speech addressing the congress, Aram Karapetyan said that he would like very much, if the Free Democrats developed freedom and democracy in Armenia and also wished, “You will participate in the election. God grant, you will win. If it turns out that the election is conducted as usual, we will wait for you in the streets.”
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Naira MAMIKONYAN
