Captured Armenian soldiers' return requires state engagement - Robert Kocharyan

The return of captured Armenian soldiers from Azerbaijan appears our most complicated problem today, requiring proper efforts by the state to ensure smooth processes, second President Robert Kocharyan has said.

The leader of Armenia Alliance made the statement at a meeting with voters in central Yerevan (Kentron administrative district), where he visited with members of his political team earlier today to introduce their pre-election platform.

"Captives appear to be the most complicated issue, where no solution can be possibly offered by any opposition force. That's a problem dealing with the state. Hence the state itself is required to handle it properly. Should any opposition force or alliance try to handle it, they will be accused of [unnecessary] intervention," he said.

Asked to comment on the somewhat passive stance on the part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the former president noted that the member states of the Russia-led military bloc (apart from Russia itself) maintain better relations with Azerbaijan than with Armenia at present.

"There are deeper economic ties among those countries [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan] in addition to the better interpersonal relations among their leaders. Never before had such a thing happened, but that's what we have today. It is a fact. How do you now expect a sharp reaction by the CSTO in such a state of affairs? I am not sure Russia alone can oblige all the CSTO member countries to take a specific step in relation to us. Russia is our sole ally there. I would suggest that you avoid pinning other hopes apart from just statements on the CSTO in this situation. It doesn't mean the organization isn't good or we should cease the collaboration. It means that the damage which [the Armenian authorities] caused by convicting Yuri Khachaturov, its [former] Secretary-General, must be repaired to normalize our relations," Kocharyan added.

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