It is Unacceptable to Have a Submissive President in Artsakh: Robert Kocharyan's Interview with 'Hraparak'

The second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, in an interview with the newspaper 'Hraparak', expressed his opinion that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's slogan, which claims that the resolution of the Artsakh issue must satisfy all parties to the conflict, is an empty and meaningless statement, a simplistic formula from a mediator.

“This is a direct proof that Armenia does not have an action plan. The recent phase of negotiations held in Bratislava and the events surrounding it showed the absolute bankruptcy of our authorities' negotiation strategy (if, of course, such a strategy exists at all). Artsakh must take the initiative in its hands and clearly define its position on the main components of the resolution. Only in this way can we avoid irreparable consequences,” said Kocharyan, adding that Artsakh must rely on its Declaration of Independence and Constitution without fearing disagreements with the Armenian authorities.

“The absence of a proclaimed successor of power has led to extreme fragmentation of the political field. There has never been such a number of presidential candidates representing different segments of the Karabakh elite. This is not a sign of democracy, but an expression of fragmentation, which poses a challenge to the security of Artsakh. The boundary of democracy in Artsakh should be determined by security, not the other way around. The merging of elections with non-governmental organizations funded by external forces raises questions. Such organizations and pacifist religious sects should not exist in Artsakh at all. What is happening is more dangerous than the military incidents registered along the contact line, as it destroys the very values for which we have won. I would like to be mistaken, but this seems to me a scenario tied around Artsakh's neck, and it appears to be implemented with the participation of the Armenian authorities,” Kocharyan stated, deeming it unacceptable to have a submissive president in Artsakh.

“It is unacceptable to have a submissive president in Artsakh, who obediently yields to someone's whims, including the Prime Minister of Armenia. Such qualities are typical of weak and passive individuals, and such a 'leadership' can have disastrous consequences for Artsakh. What is needed there are brave leaders forged by war. I hope the choice of the people of Artsakh will be just that,” said Kocharyan.