Constantine is my friend but my greatest friend is truth

CONSTANTINE IS MY FRIEND BUT MY GREATEST FRIEND IS TRUTH

Lragir, Armenia
Oct 19 2006

I have known Constantine Zatulin since 1990 and we are close, but I
disagree with his point, stated the leader of the National Democratic
Union Vazgen Manukyan October 19 at the Pakagits Club, when the news
reporters asked him to comment on Zatulin’s statement that in the
Russian-Georgian conflict Armenia must support Russia.

"I think this is absurd. After all, we have lived in this territory
with the Georgians for thousands of years, we are neighbors, there
were great disputes, I dislike a lot of things about the Georgian
policies, but we are neighbors. Besides, we do not have sea, we
have four neighbors, Azerbaijan has blocked all the ways, Turkey
has blocked all the ways, the Iranian road is endangered, because if
America pursues an embargo and other actions, we may lose this way
too, and we are offered to make our relations with Georgia tense,
which will lead to the blockade of this way too and displacement of
the Armenians from Javakheti," says Vazgen Manukyan.

Vazgen Manukyan declined to express his opinion on Igor Muradyan’s
statement on Javakheti that Armenia and the West have made an
arrangement to prevent every movement in Javakheti that might raise
the issues of this region. He says he highly respects Igor Muradyan,
but they are different, he is a political figure, and Igor Muradyan
is a political scientist. "In other words, Igor Muradyan can say
things which a political figure may think about or not but cannot
express. But most probably what he said is not supported by any
argument. Meanwhile, a political figure does not have the right to
say things which are not supported by arguments, whereas a political
scientist has the right to," says Vazgen Manukyan.