“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.
There is no point in reading moral-advisory and patriotism lectures to Zhirayr Sefilian and his associates. Their patriotism has no need to be proved. They proved it on the battlefield by selflessly and voluntarily fighting in the Artsakh.
I once again urge the armed group to immediately give up their weapons. We have been and we will be patient; life and health of every citizen of our country is precious to us. In this situation, we have not taken the “traditional” route. We have given the armed group an opportunity to take a step back. I hope they will come to senses. However we will not allow to make our entire society a hostage of this tense situation.