The Presence of Peacekeepers Will Always Be Necessary, Armen Sarkissian

What peacekeepers do is of great significance both for regional politics and for the status of Artsakh, the future of the region, and possible negotiations aimed at excluding war in the future. This was stated by the President of Armenia, Armen Sarkissian, during an interview with the magazine "Arguments and Facts," while responding to a question about how he assesses the work of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh. This was reported by the Office of the President of Armenia.

In Sarkissian's opinion, the presence of peacekeepers will always be necessary. “I don’t know if you will find the right words to convey my feelings. The Russian army has been in this region for decades, for centuries. Its presence is extremely important. What peacekeepers do is of great significance both for regional politics and for the status of Artsakh, the future of the region, and possible negotiations aimed at excluding war tomorrow,” he said.

Sarkissian expressed gratitude to the peacekeepers for their service and to Russian President Vladimir Putin for making a difficult decision. He also noted that he has always had many friends in Russia, but singled out Viktor Chernomyrdin (Russian Prime Minister from 1992-1998).

“However, there is a friendship that should not be forgotten— with Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin. We met in 1985, and it turned out that we became friends right away. When I became Prime Minister, many questions were resolved very quickly. During my very first visit to Moscow, we created "ArmGazProm," which is now called "Gazprom Armenia." We thought about it overnight, and the next day we signed a memorandum,” remembered Armen Sarkissian.

He added that he has very good relations with Vladimir Putin, emphasizing that although intergovernmental relations cannot be built on the goodwill or antagonism of the leaders of the countries, personal relationships are of great significance.