President Armen Sarkissian has concluded that a meeting he proposed to discuss the deepening political crisis in Armenia with the country’s major political players would not be feasible, given the varying responses his office has received about the invitation.
“Taking into account that the My Step and the Bright Armenia parliamentary factions have accepted the President’s invitation for a meeting, the Prosperous Armenia faction and the Homeland Salvation Movement proposed their own agenda for the meeting and presented conditions, at this moment meeting around one table does not seem feasible, a statement issued by the president’s office late Friday.
In addition to the aforementioned participants cited in the statement, the president had also invited Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who did not respond to Sarkissian’s proposal.
“President Armen Sarkissian will continue his efforts. He is ready to have separate meetings both with those invited, as well as with members of parliament not included in the factions of the National Assembly, with the representatives of different extra-parliamentary political forces,” said the Friday statement.
“These meetings will provide an opportunity, once again, to hear everyone’s views, to further clarify positions, and to formulate a working agenda based on results,” said the president’s office. “The President of the Republic reaffirms his conviction that the only way to resolve differences is through negotiations and dialogue, and that everything must be done to keep the country from tremors.”
