Former Prime Minister of Artsakh Comments on Kocharian's Assessment and Troop Movement from Artsakh to Armenia on March 1

On March 1, 2008, no troops were moved from Artsakh to Yerevan; there was only a repositioning of forces. This statement was made by Arayik Harutyunyan, a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections in Artsakh, and the former Prime Minister of Artsakh, during a press conference in Yerevan.

“First of all, no troops were brought from Artsakh; you all know that the Artsakh Defense Army is a subdivision of the Armed Forces. If there is a repositioning, it cannot be termed as bringing troops from Artsakh to Armenia. It was a movement within the Armenian armed forces,” Harutyunyan said, adding that they had information about selected soldiers from the Defense Army being in Yerevan.

In response to a journalist's question regarding this matter, Harutyunyan stated that they had no right to assess or discuss the orders of the Armed Forces, emphasizing the existence of a clear hierarchy and rules.

In an interview with “Hraparak,” Robert Kocharian mentioned that “...it is unacceptable to have a fawning president in Artsakh who obediently yields to the whims of anyone, including the Prime Minister of Armenia.” When asked if he was referring to him, Harutyunyan replied, “I have never fawned in my life. If I knew how to fawn, I would have done so to the current authorities. Yes, I had normal working relationships, I was satisfied with our economic cooperation, but I was dissatisfied with the political approach regarding the Artsakh issue. That line was clear. But I also reiterated why we did not resist because we knew; I still declare today that any authority deviating from the necessary and correct course regarding the Artsakh issue will have to resign.”

Commenting on the current Armenian authorities' policy regarding Artsakh, the former Prime Minister expressed pride, stating that the Armenian government has chosen a course acceptable to the people of Artsakh. He referred to the right to self-determination.

“There is no negotiating process; there has never been one. There have been meetings, but one cannot call them negotiations if the main side—Artsakh—is not involved. There cannot be negotiations without Artsakh. The independence of Artsakh cannot be a topic for negotiation; it is a prerequisite. The future depends on Azerbaijan's acceptance of this prerequisite. An unacceptable resolution for the people of Artsakh, first and foremost, cannot become a topic for discussion,” Harutyunyan stated.

Regarding the possibility of war, Harutyunyan noted that war can be ruled out if the Republic of Armenia maintains an annual economic growth of at least 8%. He forecasted that Armenia will see double-digit economic growth in 2021.

“When I stated after the first quarter of the year that Armenia would have a 7% economic growth, no one believed me. If there are no force majeure situations, this year the growth will be even higher, and in 2021 it will be double-digit. If we do not have high growth rates in the next five years, then we will have problems. War can be ruled out if Armenia has an annual economic growth of at least 8%. War is an expensive endeavor,” Harutyunyan said.

He also addressed rumors of potential electoral fraud during upcoming elections in Artsakh, stating, “I exclude the possibility of electoral fraud because such things have never happened in Artsakh,” emphasized Harutyunyan.