I have always met and will meet with everyone. This is what Vazgen Manukyan told journalists at the “Vernatun” public-political club’s meeting today.

Touching upon the allegations that he had collaborated with the former authorities, Vazgen Manukyan said the following: “I have always met and will meet with everyone. We went through a war together. I met with Robert Kocharyan when he was in liberty for a while. I can also meet with Nikol Pashinyan, if he wants to. There have been deviations during the years of administration of the former authorities, and this has decreased public confidence, but this doesn’t mean that people are criminals and one shouldn’t sit and discuss issues with them.”

When asked why he wasn’t raising such issues during the years of administration of Serzh Sargsyan, Vazgen Manukyan said the following: “When I was president of the Public Council during the administration of Serzh Sargsyan, we would hold meetings and discussions and have serious debates. Unfortunately, this format was a failure when Nikol Pashinyan came to power. I believe it is important for the leader of Armenia to have a vision and clearly state what kind of Armenia he wants to build because a lot depends on the head of state.”