ARMENIAN PREMIER READY TO NEGOTIATE WITH OPPOSITION

Ayots Ashkhar, Yerevan
27 May 04

Text of Vaan Vardanyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Ayots Ashkhar
on 27 May headlined “Mutual work was a success”

Armenian Premier Andranik Markaryan had a traditional meeting with
journalists yesterday after a meeting between the National Assembly
and the government.

(Correspondent) Mr Markaryan, what is your assessment of the one-year
activity of the National Assembly?

(Markaryan) It is positive. The government and the National Assembly
managed to work together, as the same format operates in both branches
of power in the person of the coalition parties, the United Labour
Party and the People’s Deputy group.

Unfortunately, the opposition boycotted the last session of the
National Assembly. It does not prevent the legislative branch of
power from working. And I think the opposition should be concerned
about this. And its presence at the next session is desirable.

(Correspondent) What is your attitude to the failed dialogue with the
opposition? You have met Aram Sarkisyan (a member of the opposition’s
Justice faction and chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia)
and intended to continue this line. Against the background of the
failed dialogue, what will be the fate of this initiative?

(Markaryan) I thought that the coalition’s meetings with the opposition
would yield certain results, that is why I announced my intention to
meet the leaders of the opposition. But before I returned from abroad,
the opposition put forward new preconditions, which is inadmissible. If
they change their position, I am ready to negotiate with them as the
leader of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and prime minister.

(Correspondent) Are you satisfied with the activity of the coalition
parties last year? When the coalition was just being formed, did you
think that the relations would be the way they are now?

(Markaryan) The formation of a coalition is not a marriage of parties
or a compulsory term. It is a mutual desire of everyone. None of the
coalition parties has attempted to describe the declaration as null
and void so far, and I can state that no such thing will happen in the
future. There are problems discussed inside the coalition. One should
not forget that it is the first attempt to form a coalition. Every
month and at every session, the work of the coalition becomes more
and more improved, especially in the National Assembly. The coalition
representatives have no problems with each other in the government at
all. There are some problems between the coalition parties operating
in the National Assembly, but they are technical and will be settled
in the course of time.

(Correspondent) Did the RPA play any role in changing the restraining
measure against (ex-Defence Minister) Vagarshak Arutyunyan and what
is your opinion of this, on the whole?

(Markaryan) Politics cannot be mixed with criminal cases and no party
can interfere in a criminal case. MPs or political forces can only
propose that the restraining measure be changed. And I can assure
you that RPA has made no such proposal.

(Correspondent) The head of your faction, Galust Saakyan, often states
that the opposition is falling apart little by little. Can one state
that the possibility of a third force appearing is increasing?

(Markaryan) A holy place is never left unoccupied, someone will take
it at last, but I cannot call them a third or a fourth force.

(Correspondent) The Georgian president has reached an agreement with
Turkey on the construction of a new railway. In turn, Iran and Russia
are concluding a similar deal with Azerbaijan. Don’t you think that
Armenia will be sidelined?

(Markaryan) I think that just for this reason, we shall try to
participate in this programme. We are having negotiations both with
Russia and Georgia to open the Abkhaz railway. If it is opened,
it will be less possible to sideline the country. We have our own
problems, other states have their own. We must only take into account
the reality, and how can Armenia influence the solutions to these
problems? We have proposals which seem promising to other parties.