I Have Lived at Home Without Heating, My Salary Was 60,000 Drams: Aghazaryan

Andranik Kocharyan's thoughts, who has stood from the beginning for the self-determination of the people of Artsakh and has been among the front-liners, should not always be understood literally. This is one point. Secondly, I have lived without gas and without conditions. If we are to reduce the essence of that thought so primitively, I am not used to it, and no one gets used to it.

This was stated by ruling party MP Hovik Aghazaryan in an interview with Aravot.am, responding to the media's comment that the chairman of the National Assembly's Defense and Security Committee, Andranik Kocharyan, said we must be united and learn to live with the gas pipeline shut off, and when asked if he would learn to live under such conditions if their gas was turned off during this cold weather.

“There have been situations where I have lived at home without heating because my salary was 60,000 drams, which was not sufficient, therefore we did not turn it on. We should not forget that Andranik Kocharyan's expressed thought is said in the context that we are at war, the war has not ended. We must always expect similar manifestations from the enemy and not be caught off guard. I hope Andranik Kocharyan forgives me for interpreting his words, but what he said is in the sense that we should indeed grit our teeth and stand by each other,” Aghazaryan said.

When asked about the difference between the 1990s when the enemy was at the gates of Stepanakert and how 30-40 members of the Supreme Council went to Artsakh and felt what was happening, while today the ruling party MPs do not do that, Aghazaryan responded: “I went myself several times during that time; we brought fuel. Not that I specifically brought it, but can you imagine, in a helicopter, there are several metal containers of 200 liters, just one bullet could hit it and it would explode. We went, participated, but I assure you, the situations are different now and then. It’s not that they are not going now.”

Regarding the difference between the past and the present situations, Aghazaryan replied that we should not give the enemy a reason to drive a wedge in the negotiation process.