January 29, 2020
National Salvation Movement’s candidate for prime minister, Vazgen Manukyan, meets with policy experts on Jan. 29
National Salvation Movement candidate for prime minister Vazgen Manukyan on Friday met with a group of political and policy experts in Armenia to discuss the current political situation, the future fate of the Artsakh issue and the recent geopolitical developments in the region, reported the movement’s press office.
The domestic political crisis in Armenia after the war was discussed and the experts weighed in about how to resolve the situation.
Some of the experts said that future political strategy and activities must be developed through polling, research and analysis. In that context views were expressed about the fact that social media platforms are often controlled, which results in the dissemination of information that often does not correspond with reality and are unreliable.
Views were also expressed regarding the fundamental reasons for the 2018 regime change in Armenia and the resulting events, as well as the issues facing the government and its structure, the opposition and political parties, highlighting the imperative to coordinate that aspect.
The experts discussed the critical challenges facing post-war Armenia
The participants of the discussion also stressed the need to create a national agenda in Armenia and to prioritize issue of national identity and the importance of coalescing civil society around those issues.
In discussing the Artsakh issue, the participants emphasized the need for the Republic of Armenia to clarify its position and upcoming steps and actively pursue them, expressing concern about recent indications to place the issue on the back burner.
Turkey’s recent moves in the region were also discussed and the imperative for Armenia to take immediate steps and formulate a strategy were voiced. During the discussion, the sides also discussed the need for a succinct approach to relations with the U.S. and prospects for advancing relations with Russia and common allies.
The need for formulating a comprehensive foreign policy based on geopolitical developments was stressed, as was the importance for Armenia to have a favorable position in the event of regional realignments, which will be vital for country and will only come to fruition when the current crises and problems are resolved.