Dialogue not only possible, but necessary – defense minister on Sargsyan-Pashinyan meeting
Defense minister of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan always sees an opportunity to continue the talks. He said this is not only possible, but also necessary.
At a meeting with reporters on April 23, commenting on yesterday’s meeting between Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan and opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, who is the leader of the recent rallies in Yerevan, the defense minister said: “I always see an opportunity to continue the talks, I always consider that dialogue is more important and positive than any tension. For me in general it is unacceptable that an Armenian opposes another Armenian in any format, in the streets, or through the police. I think the dialogue is not only possible, but also necessary. Thanks God, no red line is passed by any side”.
The minister said the Armenian people are sober and rational and are capable of solving their issues in a rational way. According to him, all such incidents have not remained without a consequence during the history of the independent Armenia. “If we look at the experience of the history of independent Armenia, we will see that no tension has remained without a consequence. No matter how it seems to us that the Electric Yerevan, even from more extremist field, the “Sasna Tsrer” (Daredevils of Sassoun) incident passed without a consequence, by the March 1 tragic lessons, but not learnt, it isn’t so. The protests of 1996, the invasion of the National Assembly, what has happened during Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s resignation left their consequences. On the one hand they left wounds which perhaps were inevitable, and on the other hand they left a major influence on the progress of our democratic system”, the minister noted.
He stated that the legislation which today some people “enter the police’s eye”, has been formed after the March 1 events in cooperation with the Council of Europe. As a result, according to the minister, Armenia’s legislation sometimes is more progressive than that of the countries from where it is taken since the best international experience is being chosen.
In these processes the defense ministry says the most important are the lessons which should be learnt. “I think there is one solution. I am really proud of the fact that there are people in our political field who are very sober, and regardless of their political preferences, are able to stand high from emotions and correctly direct the parties”, Vigen Sargsyan said, calling on to refrain from emotional steps, to remain sober and judge calmly in this tense situation.
He welcomed the step of the youth of not allowing some politicians to deliver remarks during the April 22 rally in the Republic Square. “The terrible thing is the desire to score points. In this sense I was interested in the approach of guys gathered in the Square who didn’t allow the political figures to use that platform. This deserved something regardless of the fact that I don’t agree with the issues voiced by the youth”, the defense minister concluded.
