'Velvet Revolution' implies also 'generational change' in thinking, Armenian president tells Indian TV channel

President Armen Sarkissian has given an interview to Global Leadership Series, an Indian broadcast hosting global leaders and outstanding political figures sharing their views and ideas on different developments and topics. In the half-hour long conversation aired by WION  News, the Armenian leader adressed particularly the past months' political changes dubbed 'Velvet Revolution', as well as the developing economic opportunities. He described Armenia as a unique bridge between the East and West.

Noting that the political transition occured shortly after his inauguration in April, the president said he finds that the revolutionary developments spread also to the public thinking in the country, implying a 'generational change' in the society’s consciousness. In his words, not only Nikol Pashinyan (then an opposition MP who led the anti-government protests) but also the president-turned prime minister, Serzh Sargsyan, had a contribution to the non-violent process by choosing to step down to avoid future confrontations.

Meantime he agreed that the constitutional change from a parliamentary to a presidential republic is not going to be very simple. Sarkissian, a former ambassador of Armenia to the United Kingdom, noted further that the offer to become a president implied a complete change of life first of all for himself. The president admitted that he was, in a way, influenced by the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi when he chose to interfere in the public movement at the peak of the demonstrations in central Yerevan. “The movement, very quickly, could reach the level of a very high confrontation, so it was clear that the President of the Republic has to interfere. This is where I think the whole figure of Gandhi was one of those figures that inspired me, and I went into the demonstration, into the crowd. And my first meetings with leaders of the opposition, the future prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan happened probably surrounded by 50,000 or 100,000 people. And the influence was amazing when the president walked there, I think, because the movement was against the power. But I was greeted perfectly, nicely, positively; people were supporting [the civil disobedience campaign]. And they were shocked by seeing the president coming into the crowd. And I had to take off my tie … because you have to be one of them even if you are the president. So we now proudly can say to the world that Armenia can do a revolution without bloodshed,” Sarkissian elaborated.

The president further agreed that the people’s expectations go far beyond political transformations in the rapidly changing world in the 21st century. He stressed particularly the importance of creating a free society by promoting justice and fighting corruption, developing democracy further and boosting the economy. He also emphasized the role of public engagement. “To achieve that whole specter in a short period of time will be a huge, huge challenge. And one of the ways of doing that is again the same – people. People have to believe that they are part of the solution, because they ARE the solution. So at the end of the day, in many ways, people get this illusion when they have higher expectations. But those higher expectations [have to be] towards the leadership - whether a single leader, organization or government.”

Sarkissian also spoke about the Armenian-Russian strategic alliance.

“Russia is a natural ally of Armenia, an ally with whom the partnership has not started 10 years ago or 100 years ago. We are good allies for centuries. I think we were, are and will be stable in the future.”

Asked to comment on US National Security Advisor John Bolton’s call for purchasing American weapons to balance Armenia’s cooperation with both US and Russia, Sarkissian said he treats the remark, voiced by the senior US official in Yerevan, as just a proposal not implying a legally binding obligation. “I leave it to the government to decide what sort of weapons they want to buy, but the reality is that Armenia is the only country that is and can become a bridge between the East and West, because we are a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. We have very good relations with Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan …”

As for the simultaneously continuing weapons sale with Armenia and Azerbaijan, the president said he treats it more as a global rather than a regional issue. “I do believe that there is a solution always, and that solution is dialogue,” he added.

Addressing the Armenian-Indian relations, Sarkissian admitted that there are many ways of deepening the cooperation, especially in the field of information technologies.