“Lessons should have been learned long ago. Russia should have contacts in Armenia, not only with the leading group, but with a wider layers of Armenia’s society—universities, mass media, human rights organizations, NGOs, all political powers. Russia should understand that Armenia is not only Serzh Sargsyan. I don’t say Sargsyan is a bad or a good one, it should be decided by the people of Armenia. You should decide and clarify, but we should understand that Armenia is not him, his group and supporters.”
“Firstly, the territories which are under the control of NKR, Armenia are the guarantor of both NKR territorial integrity and our physical safety, there are people in that territory, how do you imagine those people leaving? There is no such an issue. It may be discussed, put on negotiation table, however, I’m sure people living both in Armenia and in NKR, all Armenians won’t go to that step. We have previously conceded,” Vitaly Balasanyan said.
“We reached to a crucial point that for the time being the situation is calm both by the law enforcement and the young men. I think this is the biggest pledge to our success, and I’m sure, both the authorities and our armed group will maintain calmness,” Vitaly Balasanyan told reporters, ensuring that everything will be “peacefully” organized.
He stated that the rebellion is developing slowly, it’s conditioned by a range of factors—despondent condition of the people, being not used to these methods, activity of political manipulators, who, each in his turn, or maybe according to the joint plan, intend to fade another uprising and lead the country to the direction they want—to the decline.
Pavel Manukyan said, he didn’t exclude taking of new territories by his teammates. To the question how they refer to the circumstance that NA MP Nikol Pashinyan attempts to lead the movement, Pavel Manukyan said they wouldn’t allow cheating people once again, “People should decide who will lead them,” he said.
“Russia and Turkey have many interests at the moment, not only economic, but also political, in particular, they appeared in the same camp with the West, thus, they need more active relations. Let me remind, that according to the hints of the newly appointed Turkish PM Turkey will change its policy in Syria, this has become a rather serious message for Russia, besides the message of the Turkish president to Russia,” Skakov said.
“Yeghizaryan and Osipyan have been released an hour ago. Currently they are in the operative staff,” Balasanyan said. Earlier two young policemen have been released as well. For the time being there are no hostages in the terriory of police HQ and the process of creating a neutral zone for communication with reporters is underway.
“A new process seems to be initiated, which will direct all these to more content negotiations, which is only positive. The most important circumstance is that other Co-Chairs had their part in St. Petersburg discussions. I hope that president Putin will continue his efforts with the same spirit. If president Hollande also intends to host a meeting, it’ll be very good, president Obama also had such meetings in Washington D.C. in April.”
There are indications that the Russian government is now prepared to push harder for a two-step solution to the Karabakh conflict by pressing Armenia to withdraw its forces from five (of the seven) regions of Azerbaijan other than Karabakh and then later to negotiate about some future autonomous status for the separatist Karabakh territory after that happens. That is something most Armenian political leaders and the Armenian public more generally oppose, but now their country may not be able to block such a resolution of this “frozen” conflict.
Speaking about Russia’s role in solving the conflict, Bryza said President Putin is really concerned that the April crisis was very serious and poses a great threat to the outbreak of a war, which is unfavorable for Russia.
