Karabakh war veteran: We need state approach, and not personal one

The government is the parent of the state. Yet some parents neglect their children. Our government is such a bad parent, the retired Colonel Volodya Avetisian, a veteran of the Karabakh war, told RFE/RL Armenian Service, adding that a number of rights of Karabakh war veterans are being ignored.

In his words, the prime minister was sincerely concerned at his recent meeting with Karabakh veterans. “I think he will give solution to our problems after that meeting,” Avetisian noted.

He shared the opinion that In Armenia there is an atmosphere of fear, to some extent. “No one has ever threatened me. Many people approached to speak to me after I began the sit-in. There were no threats, quite the opposite, they offered personal help. I always replied that we need a state approach, rather then personal help,” Volodya Avetisian said, adding:

“The wife of a friend of mine, who is also a veteran of the Karabakh war, told me once: “Volodya, my husband wants to join you, but he is afraid – our son now serves in the army”.

“I believe that on the contrary, her husband should join us and be active in Liberty Square so that people would consider him a war participant and respect him and his son would be treated well in the army,” the veteran said.

It should be noted that Karabakh war veterans are now expecting the Armenain government to take concrete steps.

Let us remind you that at the government session yesterday Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan announced that azatamartiks (Karabakh war veterans) will receive the same status as servicemen.