SERGE SARGSYAN IS AN OPTIMIST, ROBERT KOCHARYAN IS WELL-AWARE OPTIMIST

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 18 2007

During his visit to the EU the Armenian prime minister stated in an
interview with Reuters he does not rule out signing a document on the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict before the presidential election.

The Armenian news reporters asked the foreign minister who held a
news conference on December 18 to comment on the optimism of the
prime minister, especially that Robert Kocharyan holds the opposite
opinion, stating that no document will be signed on the settlement of
the Karabakh conflict until after the Armenian presidential election.

"Generally, I am also optimistic regarding the negotiations," Vardan
Oskanyan says. He says everyone wishes to reach agreement on the
main issues. "Since an immense process is awaiting us after that,
this is only a document on the principles. This document on two and
a half pages will turn into a peace agreement on 30 or 50 pages,
and we must start negotiating the details. The sooner we begin, the
better," says Vardan Oskanyan, commenting on the optimism of the prime
minister. In this case, however, it turns out that Robert Kocharyan
is pessimistic. In reply Vardan Oskanyan mentions in a joke that a
pessimist is a well-aware optimist.

"It is possible that the president is viewing from another aspect,
he is more cautious. We who negotiate, and especially me, if we had no
confidence, and hope, it would be difficult to negotiate. Therefore,
it is necessary to take part in negotiations with hope for a
breakthrough. And the document we are negotiating is the right
approach, it is in our interests," Vardan Oskanyan says.

The reporters asked him whether Serge Sargsyan’s pronouncement in an
interview with Reuters that he is involved in drafting the policy of
Armenia on the Karabakh conflict and agrees to the document which was
extended to the sides in Madrid means that official Yerevan agrees
to it. Vardan Oskanyan said there must have been misunderstanding.

According to the minister, the president agrees to the document. "The
prime minister may have used this word, left the meaning, but the prime
minister may hardly have stated that he agrees, because you know that
the president agrees. And I know it is not so. When I talked to the
prime minister after Madrid, the prime minister could not have said
it. I think the prime minister said he is aware of the content of the
document, probably it was so. Because now it is not the time when we
are supposed to express a stance on this," Vardan Oskanyan says, noting
that there is no problem of a yes or no stance at some definite point.