Armen Sarkissian Discusses Russia's Arms Sales to Both Armenia and Azerbaijan

The President of Armenia, Armen Sarkissian, has given an interview to WION, an Indian news channel, for its Global Leadership Series program, which features global leaders. In the interview, Sarkissian addressed both the Velvet Revolution in Armenia and the evolving economic opportunities, describing Armenia as a bridge between East and West.

“In the 21st century, where everything is happening very quickly, people have great expectations, and society anticipates a number of changes: a freer society, a just society, where there should be no corruption, or where there should be a fight against corruption. Relevant institutions must keep the country free of corruption. Following that, democracy must develop. Economic development should then follow to improve people's circumstances,” Sarkissian noted, adding that these changes need to occur in a short time frame, and the path toward this end lies again with the people.

“People need to believe that they are part of finding the solution, or they themselves are the solution,” the President emphasized.

“Russia is Armenia's natural ally, with whom cooperation did not start ten or a hundred years ago; we have been good allies for centuries. Our relationships have been, and will be stable in the future,” he said in response to a reporter's question regarding cooperation with neighboring states.

Responding to questions about the proposal to purchase American weapons made by U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton during his visit to Armenia, as well as the need to balance cooperation with Russia, the President stated, “That was simply a proposal; there can be other proposals as well, and they need to be coordinated in advance. I believe Armenia is the only country that can serve as a bridge between the East and West and is indeed a bridge, as we are a member of the Eurasian Economic Union and have good relations with Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.”

Speaking about Russia's arms sales to both Armenia and Azerbaijan, the President emphasized that any issue can be resolved through dialogue. “This is not just a question concerning our region; I believe there is always a solution, and that solution is dialogue,” he added.

Regarding relationships with India, the Armenian President stated that there are many options for deepening cooperation, especially in the field of information technology.