HEADS OF 50 ARMENIAN PARTIES PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION ON SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

Noyan Tapan

Nov 20, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. On the initiative of Armenian
president Serzh Sargsyan, a consultation on the current stage of
negotiations on settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem was held
with the participation of heads of the country’s political forces at
K. Demirchian Sport and Concert Complex in Yerevan on November 20.

S. Sargsyan said such consultations on issues of importance to the
country will be held regularly. Consultations may also be held in an
Armenian region, to which the problem under discussion is related. All
the political forces, including extraparliamentary parties, will be
invited to take part in discussions. According to the president, the
discussions will be closed, and after their conclusion the participants
may provide information to the mass media, but without references.

In his opinion, the institution of political consultations will
contribute to an exchange of opinions about problems of strategic
importance to Armenia and the formation of a common approach, as
well as to the establisment of a political field in the country. The
president had announced his initiative to invite such consultations
in his address at the National Assembly.

According to spokesman for the RA president Samvel Farmanian, only the
heads of the parties were invited to the discussion. 50 out of 65 heads
of parties, who had been invited, attended the meeting. In particular,
out of the parties of the political coalition, "Prosperous Armenia"
did not participate because its chairman Gagik Tsarukian is not in
the country. The parliamentary opposition – "Heritage" was represented
by the chairwoman of the party’s board Anahit Bakhshian.

Out of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) member parties representing
the radical opposition, only the chairman of the Marxist Party
David Hakobian was present. In his words, the leader of ANC Levon
Ter-Petrosian did not boycott the discussion, he just allowed the
ANC member political forces to "freely maneuver".

Despite the president’s admonition to limit each speech to 3 minutes,
the discussion on Karabakh problem lasted 5 hours.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress