A1 Plus | 18:02:44 | 08-10-2004 | Politics |
VAZGEN MANOUKYAN SPECULATING OVER INDEPENDENCE
Armenian Democratic Union leader Vazgen Manoukyan, speaking Friday at a
seminar held in Armenian Center for National and International Studies,
shared his ideas about Armenia’s 13-year independence with the seminar
participants.
In his opinion, Armenians got independence without special efforts from
their side. He thinks Armenian people didn’t want to be independent for the
past century.
In his words, in 1988, a part of nation, predominantly intellectuals, was
opposed to independence fearing aggression from Turkey. They thought Armenia
could get back its lost territories by remaining a part of the Soviet Union.
Manoukyan said he considered national army creation an achievement of a
13-year independent republic.
The seminar participants agreed that Armenia had accomplished a great deal
in forming national army and winning Karabakh back from Azerbaijan.
Poverty, migration and unemployment were mentioned among negative phenomena.