Journalists in the National Assembly told Arayik Harutyunyan, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, that the opposition wanted to hear assurances that Artsakh would never be part of Azerbaijan. Arayik Harutyunyan answered, “If the opposition is a partner, it will get partner answers. If the opposition makes demands that go beyond morality and civilization, of course, the government must respond from above, but if it continues to act in the same way, it will simply be rejected.”
As for the demand to say that sentence, he said that the government makes statements when it deems it necessary and the opposition can not deviate from their plans. According to Arayik Harutyunyan, during his rule Robert Kocharyan could have shown that “Artsakh will not be part of Azerbaijan”, but he could have gone and discussed options for the exchange of Meghri. “Now it is better to go to negotiations, to achieve a lot, to talk a little, or to achieve a lot, to go and discuss treacherous things.” In response to the question of if we will achieve a lot now, he answered, “We will definitely achieve a lot.”
The journalists asked, “Do you not think that you are deviating from your government’s program, because there was Artsakh’s self-determination in the program? Now your colleagues say, let’s leave the status issue aside,” he answered that they did not deviate. “We live in a post-war period, quite turbulent. It is a pity that many do not study history and lack school knowledge. Serious problems arise in post-war countries. But what is written in the Civil Contract pre-election program, in the government program, is written.”
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Arayik Harutyunyan mentioned, “Every time I want to express my surprise when the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the deputies, the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister say that nothing is discussed in the corridor and after every statement by Aliyev, people start to get upset, saying that we sold the lands. Dear people, let us respect ourselves, again, calling someone else a Turk does not solve our problems. We show our fears by that. When you constantly call someone a Turk, it means you have fear. Even if you have, you have to go for it. Let Aliyev announce one thing, and you announce something else. It’s a well-known joke, “Master, tell me.” Referring to the talks, Arayik Harutyunyan said that the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides are putting their preconditions on the table.
“Negotiations are needed in order to make concessions and compromises as a result of negotiations, to find an optimal option. Negotiations are for compromises, there is no other option. If you go to negotiations and do not have a compromise in mind, there was a general who said that a compromise in the East is a defeat, in the West a victory. If there is a conflict, it must be resolved. The conflict can be resolved either through another humiliating defeat or a resounding victory, or if people go to negotiations, then they have determined that it is possible to resolve the issue through negotiations.” As for what we are ready to compromise, Arayik Harutyunyan’s answer was the following: “Compromises depend on the environment and the agenda of the negotiations.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
