Since the presidential election 2008 and the time when Vazgen Manukyan became the chairman of the Public Chamber it is almost impossible to talk to him. Yesterday he visited the 10th summit of the Information technologies enterprise together with former member of his party and incumbent prime minister Tigran Sargsyan, and we could hardly ask a couple of questions to him. “I am trying not to meet with journalists; you used this opportunity and asked some questions, and that’s all,” said Vazgen Manukyan and left the hall following Tigran Sargsyan.
Below is the full text of the questions asked to Vazgen Manukyan and his answers:
– Mr. Manukyan, it seems that there is no progress in the issue of Armenia-Turkey relations following Armenian’s president’s visit and meetings in Washington. Do you think the Armenia-Turkey talks are in a deadlock?
– This is a process that will last long. In this long process there will be winners, losers and changes. This year is very important for the nation because the entire nation is shifting the issue of the Genocide and people clarify their suspects that there are confidential agreements on the issue of Karabakh and they see that this is a normal game. The fact is that the issue of the Genocide and Karabakh are separated from the protocols and every word the president says proves this fact. I don’t know what will happen but from the point of view of national issues this year was more important than the previous ones.
– But in contrast with the president’s statements rejecting this possibility the Turkish party is making announcements trying to link the issue of the border with the conflict of Karabakh.
– There is no inner confidential agreement, is there?
– I don’t know.
– It is evident that Turkey is trying to develop the issue of Karabakh as a precondition even though it is not written in the documents. Armenia says that it is useless because there are no documents about it and we don’t agree with that. It is a normal political struggle.
– What do you mean by saying that the Armenian-Turkish process will last long?
– We have not had relations with Turkey for decades and have had a traditional policy which started in the beginning of the 19th century, and we have not received any benefits from this policy so far other than mere losses. Now we are trying to implement a new policy. I think that this way cannot finish in one or two years. I don’t mean the possibility of opening the border or no.
– Do you think this situation may continue long? It seems that the pressure in relation with the issues of the Armenian-Turkish border and Karabakh conflict is growing.
– There is pressure on the issue of the Armenian-Turkish relations, as for Karabakh, there has always been pressure on this issue as well. Will this pressure result in a situation when Armenia may give up on Karabakh?
– The Armenian party has announced that a compromise may be to return the territories surrounding Karabakh.
– He did not say that; what he said is that if Karabakh gets independence, the other issues can be solved in several days.
– In his interview given to the Syrian Al Watan Serzh Sargsyan said, “When the people of Karabakh get the real opportunity to implement their right for self-determination, and when there are actual mechanisms of security and development, a compromise of the Armenian party may be the return of those regions surrounding Karabakh to Azerbaijan, of course by keeping the corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia.”
– To me it is a lyrical mess. The most important issue is the one which we have not agreed upon with Azerbaijan and I don’t think we may agree in the near future. Does Azerbaijan imagine Karabakh being out of its land? If they imagine, the other things can be negotiated.
– Today Ilham Aliyev again announced that Karabakh will get sovereignty but within Azerbaijan.
– If he does not imagine that, it will stay the same.
– But the Armenian and Azeri parties are negotiating based on the principles of Madrid, which clearly specify the issue of returning those regions.
– Who said the principles of Madrid are adopted?
– Last time during the meeting with the Minsk Group co-chairmen on March 30 the Armenian foreign affairs minister Edward Nalbandyan said that “the principles of Madrid were accepted by the Armenian party as a ground for negotiations yet two years ago.”
– There is only one key to the settlement of Karabakh conflict; whether Azerbaijan will agree with the possibility to see Karabakh out of its land. If they agree, the negotiations may develop in different directions, if not, they will be faced with a deadlock.
– Is it possible to maintain the status-quo long this year?
– If it has been maintained till now, I think it will continue being maintained until the issue is resolved.
P.S. “Who said the March 1 is not discovered? There are two parties to the events of March 1, and I can accuse both of them,” said Vazgen Manukyan in answer to the question of A1+. “To me it is not clear why it happened that way. As for discovering, it is not like a dark force came, did it and left. It was committed by the powers we know, but it is not discovered how it happened that the events resulted in such situation,” he said. The journalists reminded him the events of April 12-13, which happened 6 years ago, when Vazgen Manukyan was oppositionist and the police checked-up his apartment, intimidated on his party members, etc. In answer to a question whether the events of March 1 would take place if the ones guilty in the abuse of April 12-13 would have been punished he said, “If the events following the elections in 1996 did not happen, these things would not happen; the terror of October 27 would not happen either. The problem is that the understanding that it is possible to solve political issues with force and weapons was started on September 2, 1996. Before that our society had a different approach to elections.”