Matthew Bryza considers Serzh Sarkisian a `special leader’

March 7, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Deputy Assistant of U.S. Secretary of State Matthew
Bryza stated that he considers Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh
Sarkisian a `special leader’, `who has vision and approaches, which we
want to see for implementation of joint programs’.

As Mediamax was told in the press service of the government, Matthew
Bryza said this during his meeting with Serzh Sarkisian on March 6.

`You are a special leader. We in principle support you. The U.S. Charge
D’Affaires in Armenia and I believe that you have the vision and the
approaches, which we want to see for the implementation of joint
programs. We want you to reach success and we want Armenia to be
successful’, press service of the government quotes Matthew Bryza.

U.S. diplomat noted that before the meeting he had time to get familiar
with Prime Minister’s speech at yesterday’s session of the government
and is very glad for the emphases made by Serzh Sarkisian.

Mediamax reports that, starting the session of the government on March
6, Serzh Sarkisian, in particular, stated that `it is necessary to get
involved in a dialogue, even if the interlocutor is blinded by hatred’.

According to Bryza, it is time to ease tension. He noted that all sides
should demonstrate responsibility and should realize that it is
necessary to reestablish all the positive that was in Armenia before
the given situation.

Serzh Sarkisian, in his turn, stated that he did not say anything
extraordinary during the session of the government, but repeated what
he had been saying in the course of the recent few months. The Prime
Minister stated that it is necessary to continue dialogue with all the
people, who want to cooperate with authorities. What concerns the ones,
who do not have such desire, according to Serzh Sarkisian, they may
think whatever they want, but in case the law is violated, they will
bear responsibility for their actions.