If Armenia is not made the most organized, the most modernized, modern country in this region, we will not succeed in the Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] issue. The second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, stated this during a talk with his supporters.

"Negotiating positions, respect for you, looking at you as a partner depends on what you represent. It is the same in life, even in personal relationships, on the street, in a team. Now we [Armenia] want to say in such a weakened, crumpled, ‘kneeled’ state, ‘You do not respect us.’ Why should they respect you? The only way to return that respect, influence is to be strong, developed, organized in this region. Power is not just the number of [army] tanks—though it is needed, too—, but first and foremost your degree of modernization, how efficient a country you are, how organized you are. For example, at that time, to study from Georgia how we have implemented reforms in the field of agriculture, in the reforms of the state system. Now all that has disappeared, it does not exist, we [Armenians] have become a nation with our necks bent; if this continues like this, we will become a tribe," he said.

Kocharyan emphasized that the introduction of new technologies in Armenia is much easier, and it will create a much friendly environment than in Azerbaijan. "There are many directions in the economy where we can be much more successful, more efficient than Azerbaijan; we have to do that," said the former president.