Armenian ruling coalition accuses opposition of disrupting negotiations

In response to the decision of the Armenian opposition to suspend the talks, the ruling coalition has issued a statement accusing the oppositional Armenian National Congress (ANC) of disrupting the negotiation process and distorting facts.

The seventh meeting between the ruling coalition and the ANC, scheduled on August 26, failed because oppositionists did not appear. The ANC interrupted its participation in the dialogue and stated that it would return to the negotiating table only after the change of the freedom restriction measure in respect of its activist Tigran Arakelyan.

The statement the coalition's delegation, disseminated in the context of the dialogue interruption, says: "With great regret we've read the ANC's statement on the course of the dialogue. With regret, because the statement was, in the first place, a blow on the trust, which had formed in relation to our colleagues during our joint work to date – something that we had really felt as an achievement."

"We remain open to dialogue around any constructive suggestions and hope that our counterparts will manage to overcome a minute's temptation; and we'll continue as quickly as possible the dialogue, which is so important for our country," says the statement.

In his turn, Levon Zurabyan, the head of the delegation of the ANC said that earlier the opposition had received assurances from the ruling coalition that the activists of the ANC, who were arrested on August 9, will be released; however, the authorities did not keep their promise: "Was it really difficult for the authorities to release all our activists?"