Gagik Harutyunian: We should prepare for both war and peace

“We should constantly prepare for both war and peace. In this sense the Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting had some positive elements. It was their first meeting in the past 2.5 years. The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have recently been reelected, which means that the heads of two states have enough time to take decisions in quiet conditions,” Director of Noravank Scientific and Educational Foundation Gagik Harutyunian said at a press conference today, when commenting on the Vienna meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents.

He indicated a number of factors that may determine some developments in the talks on the Karabakh conflict settlement. First of all, G. Harutyunian noted the weakening of Azerbaijan’s economic potential due to depletion of its energy resources in the future.

The second factor, according to the speaker, is related to Armenia’s upcoming membership in the Eurasian Union, which means additional assistance in ensuring its security.

“These circumstances should make the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan take a more realistic approach to the problem, although the Azerbaijani side frequently resorts to unacceptable actions aimed at wrecking the talks,” he said.

Gagik Harutyunian expressed an opinion that the atmosphere in the region may have a positive impact on the negotiating process as the U.S. and Russia came to an agreement over Syria, while Washington and Tehran started talks on the Iranian nuclear problem.