ARMENIAN POLITICIAN SAYS THAT TURKEY SUGGESTED TO GIVE ARMENIA MOUNT ARARAT IF YEREVAN AGREES WITH THE VARIANT OF THE TERRITORIAL SWAP

PanARMENIAN.Net - 18.10.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. Before the terrorist act of October 27, 1999, the victims of which became the Premier and Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia, a peace agreement was prepared on the basis of suggestions about the territorial swap between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ready to be signed by the sides.

The Political Secretary of the Socialists Union of Armenia, Ashot Manucharian stated this today a press conference in Yerevan.

According to him, despite the statements of the adherents of the Armenian President, the Premier of Armenia V. Sarkisian and the Speaker of Parliament K. Demirchian spoke against the territorial exchange. Among the active supporters of the realization of the so-called "Goble plan" Manucharian named the Defense Minister of Armenia, the Security Council Secretary at the President of the country, Serzh Sarkisian.

Ashot Manucharian asserts that the negotiations on the territorial swap are still in progress, and according to him, "beginning May 1, 2000 only the supporters of this plan have been representing the Armenian side". Manucharian also said that at present several modified variants on territorial swap are being discussed. He said Turkey takes an indirect, sometimes even direct participation in this negotiations. "One of the Turkish suggestions was the possibility to give Armenia the Biblical Mount Ararat - the symbol of the Armenian nation. Thus, the supporters of the territorial exchange try to make this idea more acceptable for our nation", stated the politician.

In the beginning of the 90s Ashot Manucharian was the Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia, held the post of President Levon Ter-Petrosian's counselor on national security issues. -0-