“Armenia has a problem of recognizing Artsakh independence and overcoming social-economic crisis of 20 years.” The member of Social-Democratic Hnchakian Party's central department, former Deputy Defense Minister Vahan Shirkhanyan said this during the press conference on August 12. According to him, Armenia is imposed “Status instead of territories" resolution by the foreign forces which must be replaced with “equivalent exchange of territories.” “Azerbaijan announces that Armenia has occupied 20% of its territory, which is equal to 17200 km2,” V Shirkhanyan said, noting that we should leave 5200 km2 to Azerbaijan and return Nakhijevan. Touching upon the meeting of Aliyev and Medvedev he noted that he had a positive attitude towards such meetings but he thought that that status-quo change was profitable neither for Armenia, nor for Azerbaijan and Russia. So, according to him, the best variant is status-quo maintenance. The only way overcoming 20-year social-economic crisis of Armenia is the refusal of liberal system and transferring to social-democratic system. “We should change the system and not do systematic changes,” he said. Touching upon ANC-authority dialogue V. Shirkhanyan noted that he excluded the possibility of special elections, as they are held as a result of political crisis, struggle of ideological plans. “I don’t see any difference between ideologies of ANC and the authority,” V. Shirkhanyan noted.

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