“Azatutyun” radio station: “Who did you meet with?”
Levon Ter-Petrosyan: “I met with Clinton, the senior Bush, Carter…
“Ayb Fe”: “Will you hold a conference at the Armenian National Movement?”
Levon Ter-Petrosyan: “No”.
“Ayb Fe”: “Will you participate though”
Levon Ter-Petrosyan: “I have participated in all the conferences.”
“Ayb Fe”: “Are you planning on running for president in the 2008 elections?”
Levon Ter-Petrosyan: “No. I can not say what the future holds.”
“Azatutyun”: “You were writing a book entitled “The Crusader”. Did you finish it?”
Levon Ter-Petrosyan: “I have finished the first one. Now I am working on the second one.”
“Ayb Fe”: “What do you wish for Ukraine?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Freedom”.
“Ayb Fe”: “What freedom?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Freedom for everything. Democracy means freedom. Having
the right to vote is freedom. Everything has freedom in it. Democracy
is a means.”
“168 hours”: “Years ago, you had said that there will come a time when
the people will need you as their leader and will demand that you
return to politics.”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Excuse me, but I have never said such a thing.”
“168 hours”: “You said, the people ‘will plead’.”
Ter-Petrosyan: “I have not said that either. My speech was just the way
I said it. Would you like me to recite it? They asked me if I was going
to run for president in the next elections. The next elections were in
2001 and I immediately said no because the Constitution forbids it.
Then I smiled and joked saying that I will not run for president until
the people don’t plead as a whole. Everyone has forgotten about this
part.”
“168 hours”: “Even if you said it as a joke that time, aren’t you going to come back?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Even if it was a joke, that was referring to the third
time slot back in 2001. I mean, that was a simple question with a
simple answer. It has turned into some legend.”
“Ayb Fe”: “Who is living the good life nowadays, you or Sergo?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Come on, let’s not kid around.”
“168 hours”: “Nowadays, the article you wrote entitled “War or Peace”
is being published many times and many people are doing their analysis
on that. What do you think? Why has it become a matter of interest?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “I am happy to hear that they have started to get
interested in that article. I really am happy. It has become a matter
of interest because every word in that article has not lost its
presence, on the contrary, it is out in the open. For example, there is
not only a progress in the Karabagh peace settlement, but also, I
regret to say, I see many negative consequences. I really regret saying
that. This issue is getting deeper and deeper for us.”
“Ayb Fe”: “Do you see a restarting of war in the near future?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Most probably.”
“Aravot”: “Is it possible to start where you left off, or is there no road going back?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “I don’t think there is. We will never have what we could have had in 1997.”
“Aravot”: “What if you come back to politics?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Even if God Himself comes back, it is impossible.”
“Armenian Times”: “What is the most you can get out of all this?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “That does not depend on me, it depends on our present day authorities.”
“Armenan Times”: “What is possible, from a theoretical point of view?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “I don’t accept any theories. Politics is a job, a practical and concrete issue which needs to be solved.”
“Azatutyun”: “Don’t you regret bringing Robert Kocharyan to Armenia on time?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Not at all. I brought him here as a Prime Minister and
maybe that was the only step that I took which favored the people as a
whole. I have not heard of anyone who complains about him.”
“168 hours”: “Don’t you see the results of that decision in the Karabagh conflict?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Looking at the past is another side of the story. If we look back, we can say that we were all clever people.”
“Aravot”: “One time, you promised that you were not elected to please the people. Why then did you agree to bring Kocharyan?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Was that really favoring the people?”
“Aravot”: “You say that everyone agreed.”
Ter-Petrosyan: “I am saying something else. You are asking me if I am
regretting what I did, and I say no because at the time nobody told me
that I was wrong. This has nothing to do with making it favorable for
the people.”
“Ayb Fe”: “Isn’t it time for the Armenian National Movement to come back take serious political action?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “The Armenian National Movement is neither coming back nor leaving politics.”
“Ayb Fe”: “However, they are passive.”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Then that is maybe because they have their reasons.”
“Ayb Fe”: “What are those reasons?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “In my opinion, the reasons for that are that they feel
that it is still not the right time for them to express themselves.
They are very clever.”
“Azatutyun” : “Don’t you want to create a new political force?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “For what?”
“Azatutyun”: “For the sake of the authorities.”
Ter-Petrosyan: “For me, governing a nation is not a goal. If there is a
particular issue and I consider that necessary, then I will surely
participate.”
“168 hours”: “In your opinion, do you have any role to play in today’s politics?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “We may differ in how we look at roles to play.”
“168 hours”: “So, you have nothing to do in politics?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “It is not that abstract.”
“168 hours”: “Many think that the release of Samvel Babayan is
connected with the contradictions between Robert Kocharyan and Serj
Sargsyan. They say that Samvel Babayan is a new opposing side and one
who you must lead. Are those rumors true?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “This is the first time that I am hearing this and I can not answer to that question.”
“168 hours”: “Have you met with Samvel Babayan?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “No.”
“168 hours”: “How do you evaluate the work that the Armenian National Movement does today?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Wonderful. I truly appreciate how they fought against
the media and kept their structures in firm position. I know for a fact
that they will express themselves clearly in case of need.”
“Armenian Times”: “During the past six years, has there been anything that Armenia has lost which can never again be gained?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Armenia has lost a lot. First of all, it has lost people and I think that that is the biggest loss.”
“168 hours”: “Do you mean October 27?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “I am talking about emigration. This is very severe.
Secondly, we have lost time for economic development and thus we stay
behind our fellow countries. These are things which can not be brought
back. Six years is not a short time.”
“168 hours”: “How much did the events of October 27 falter the development of the country?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “I don’t think that I should explain that. It is so clear that everyone knows about that.”
“Ayb Fe”: “Six years have passed, however, the present day authorities
have another enemy besides the Armenian National Movement. Who is the
other one?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “I don’t know. I don’t consider them my enemies. Ask them if they consider us our enemies.”
“Azatutyun”: “When are you going to open up a library?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “I have already opened one.”
“Azatutyun”: “Where?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “In my house. There is a library and archive of the
first president of Armenia. It is in the process, but it will soon open
up.”
“168 hours”: “If the people demand, will you return to politics?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “That is just an abstract conversation. What do you mean if society demands?”
“168 hours”: “There are people that are publishing letters.”
Ter-Petrosyan: “Getting ten or a hundred letters is nothing. When we
get 2 million letters, then I will either answer or leave them
unanswered.”
“168 hours”: “Do they have to bring the letters in boxes, or what?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “There have to be many.”
“Azatutyun”: “What if they do gatherings?”
Ter-Petrosyan: “How many people?”
“Azatutyun”: “Let’s say, 50,000.”
Ter-Petrosyan: “It’s not bad. But again, it is abstract. Go ahead,
gather the people, give me the questions and then I will tell you
whether I am coming back or not.”
“168 hours”: “Everyone is gathered here in front of you. Tell us.”
Ter-Petrosyan: “I said 50,000. You gather 50,000 and you gather 50,000
(pointing to reporter for “Azatutyun” radio station Armen Dulyan-L.S.),
and then I will come and make my decision.”