ARF LEADERS WELCOME EX- PRESIDENT LEVON TER-PETROSIAN

ARMENPRESS
Oct 1, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS: Two top members of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) welcomed Saturday Armenia’s ex-president
Levon Ter-Petrosian at the ARF Simon Vratsian Center in Yerevan. The
Supreme Body of the ARF said the initiative was Ter-Petrosian’s. It
said Ter-Petrosian’s was welcomed by Hrant Margarian, representative
of the ARF Bureau in Armenia and Armen Rustamian, representative of
the ARF Supreme Body.

Levon Ter-Petrosian was accompanied by former foreign affairs minister
Alexander Arzumanian.

The ARF Supreme Body said the meeting’s agenda was topped by
issues on the political situation of the country and forthcoming
presidential election. It said both sides emphasized the need of
ideological-political debate at this stage of developments.

On December 28, 1994, Levon Ter-Petrosian accused the leaders of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation of plotting a coup, ordered to jail
its leadership, and shut down Yerkir newspaper, run by the party. The
ban was lifted by president Robert Kocharian in 1998.

During a reception organized by his Armenian National Movement (ANM)
to mark the 16-th anniversary of Armenia’s independence on September
21 Levon Ter-Petrosian broke his nearly decade-long silence by
lashing out at the current authorities in Yerevan branding them as
"criminal and corrupt." He further accused them of turning Armenia
into a "third world country."

Ter-Petrosian, who was forced into resignation in 1998 by opponents
of state-by-stage resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said
Armenia’s sustainable development was impossible without a resolution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the opening of its borders with
Azerbaijan and Turkey.

He also said he has not yet decided whether or not to participate in
the upcoming presidential election, adding that he was still examining,
weighing up, considering things.

"I can’t be guided by emotions. Adventurism is alien to my character,"
he said, adding that until he knew the effectiveness of his would-be
steps, he would not take steps.