`We do not need smiling faces’

1/richard-kirakosyan
04:34 pm | May 21, 2010 | Politics

The Caucasus Institute is holding Caucasus 2009 International
Conference in Yerevan on May 21-22, 2010. The conference has brought
together scholars, journalists and public activists from Armenia,
Georgia, Turkey, Russia and European states. Topics for discussion are
the political, social and economic development of the North and South
Caucasus in 2009; Russian, European, Turkish and U.S. policies in the
Caucasus in 2009; unrecognized states and ethno-political conflicts in
the Caucasus; regional security in the South Caucasus.

"Robert Kocahryan is a bigger threat for Serzh Sargsyan than Levon
Ter-Petrosyan," said political scientist Richard Giragosyan who
presented the report "Armenia in 2009" at the conference.

"Serzh Sargsyan wants to look ahead while Robert is pulling him back.
Kocharyan’s return to politics does not stem from Armenia’s interests.
The scenario of Medvedev-Putin, Serzh-Sargssyan-Robert Kocharyan is
excluded in Armenia," he added.

Richard Giragosyan is also displeased with opposition leaders.
"We do not need smiling faces and clever speech at rallies. The
opposition needs to take concrete steps."

In his report, the political scientist underlined that the problems
Armenia faced in 2009 and 2010 were resulted by the post-election
clashes of March 1, 2008.

"RA authorities did not want to eliminate the aftermaths of March 1.
They tried to conceal inner problems with outer ones. The authorities
failed to estimate the role of the opposition viewing the opposition
as an impeding rather than contributing factor on the path of
democracy."

Note that Azerbaijani representative did not arrive in Yerevan.