FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH REFUTES TER-PETROSIAN’S ALLEGATIONS
ARMENPRESS
Nov 26 2007
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: A former defense minister of
Nagorno-Karabakh refuted ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian’s allegations
that he brought prime minister Serzh Sarkisian to Armenia from Moscow
after he was ostracized from Nagorno-Karabakh in 1993.
Ter-Petrosian reportedly made the remark during a meeting with over
1000 students and young people at Marriott Hotel in Yerevan in late
October.
But Samvel Babayan, the former defense minister of Nagorno-Karabakh,
who Ter-Petrosian claimed had driven Serzh Sarkisian out of
Nagorno-Karabakh, denied it Saturday saying Ter-Petrosian’s allegation
were not right.
Samvel Babayan was speaking to journalists after his party’s congress
decided to join the Ramkavar-Azatakan (Democratic Liberal) party. He
said he will unveil soon fresh facts about his relations with Serzh
Sarkisian back in early 1990-s which will shed light on why Serzh
Sarkisian had been dispatched to the Russian capital.
Samvel Babayan said it (presumably Serzh Sarkisian’s dispatch to
Russia) was linked with what he described as ‘criminal actions ‘ of
then Armenian leadership that was against Armenian troops’ advance
and liberation of new areas surrounding the administrative borders of
Nagorno-Karabakh.b "Time will come and I will name all those people
(in the former government) who sent envoys to Nagorno-Karabakh and
Zangezur (southern Armenia) in an effort to stop our advance," he said.
Samvel Babayan declined to go into the details of Serzh Sarkisian’s
dispatch to Russia saying only his task was to secure supply of
equipment and ammunition to Armenian troops.
He also declined Ter-Petrosian’s allegations that Serzh Sarkisian was
absent from Nagorno-Karabakh (in 1993) for a year, saying he was not
there from late May until August.
He said the order to start the Lachin-Kelbajar liberation operation
was signed by Serzh Sarkisian as defense minister of Armenia and
himself as the executor of the order.