“On Mar. 1, I was neither complicit nor one who concealed: on the contrary, I’ve been a preventer,” said Armenia’s former foreign minister, Civilitas Foundation founder Vartan Oskanian today at the first discussion of a new series by the Civilitas Foundation called One Hundred Questions and Answers.<\/p>\n
Asked about the statement he made on Mar. 1, Oskanian responded with great readiness, noting he is happy to provide explanations ahead of the third anniversary of Mar. 1, 2008.<\/p>\n
In his words, three years ago that day, he agreed to give a press conference, since, according to him, he had a feeling of political responsibility. “In such a situation, silence is the most dangerous thing and someone had to be found who could talk to the people.”<\/p>\n
Armenia’s former foreign minister confessed that prior to making the statement, he had put a condition before then president Robert Kocharian, that in his speech he would urge the opposition for dialogue, to which, according to Oskanian, Kocharian agreed.<\/p>\n
“I appealed the opposition for dialogue. Thus, I am someone who attempted to prevent these events,” he said.<\/p>\n
Oskanian today also said he doesn’t intend to apologize for what he’s done. “I don’t have a problem with apologizing. In order to apologize, I have to believe that I’ve done wrong, but [in this case] I don’t think so.”<\/p>\n
“If I felt I was doing something wrong, I wouldn’t do it,” he added.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the consequences of Mar. 1, Oskanian said he hoped that the ruling authorities would “heal the wound”; first, by releasing all political prisoners in the country.<\/p>\n
“I think that should’ve been the president’s first order [of business],” he said, noting that if that hasn’t happened 3 years ago, it doesn’t mean it can’t happen today.<\/p>\n
“Today is not late. If that happens, we [i.e. Armenia] in every way, will be on a different plane,” he concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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