Robert Kocharian Describes What Would Force Him to Return to Active Politics

Former president of Armenia Robert Kocharian, in an interview with Mediamax news agency, said that he doesn’t rule out the possibility returning to “big politics.”

This he said in response to Mediamax’s request to comment on the fact that the topic of his returning to active politics has become one of the main subjects of Armenia’s political scene, and the fact that Vladimir Putin is going to run in the presidential elections in Russia in 2012 became a topic of discussion and debate about the impact this could have on political processes in Armenia and on political perspectives of the second president in particular.

“I am amazed that my possible return is linked to political processes in Russia — and this happens immediately after the celebration of the 21st anniversary of Armenia’s independence? I am sure that political processes will mature here, in Armenia, and not be directly projected from outside.

“I don’t rule out the possibility of my returning to big politics. However, only three major factors may force me to return and not the events going on in — though very close to and important for Armenia, but nevertheless — another country. These three factors are:

1. the absence of a tangible and stable improvement in the welfare of the people and the country’s economy, and consequently the growth of hopeless moods and emigration;

2. the demand for my return to big politics by various strata of the society; and

3. my inner belief that I can radically improve the situation.

The ways that I may return to active politics may vary given these three factors.

“All other circumstances include some nuances and increase the political resource but are not fundamental factors,” he said.