Wednesday, April 24 2019 11:49

ArmInfo. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian told Civilnet about the events occurred a year ago, when he, responding to the demand of the then opposition leader Nikol  Pashinyan, decided to negotiate with him directly on Republic Square  at the very height of the velvet revolution.

"On that day, I received about 20-30 calls with insistent advice and  suggestions not to take this step, not to go to negotiations with  Pashinyan to the Republic Square, as he demanded. But I did not  listen to them, I considered that it would be right to go there and  talk with Pashinyan, and now I think it was the right decision,  "Sarkissian said.

Yesterday parliament Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan also recalled the events  of a year ago. In particular, he recalled the days when he, Nikol  Pashinyan and Sasun Mikaelyan were detained. ''It was the quietest  day in the history of the velvet revolution for me. During this day,  various high-ranking officials came to me, they tried to negotiate,  my answer was one - let Serzh Sargsyan resign. Then the speaker of  the parliament Ara Babloyan came to me with a meal. In the evening,  the door opened and Karen Karapetyan entered. He asked if I believed  that he wanted good for the Armenian people, I nodded, because I  believed in it.  Subsequently, we all gathered in the same cell.  Karapetyan ordered that coffee be brought to all of us. He said that  Serzh Sargsyan is ready to resign after the Francophonie summit, our  answer was - no. Karapetyan left, returned again, and said he would  resign on May-June. Our answer was unchanged - no. He again left,  came and said - April 25. Then we asked to leave us alone, but again  our answer was the same - no. He proposed - the evening of April 23,  but Pashinyan was uncompromising - within two hours'', Mirzoyan said.  Armen Ashotyan responded to this statement by Mirzoyan, assuring that  Serzh Sargsyan decided to resign before Karen Karapetyan went to  negotiate with the opposition.