YEREVAN. – The contradictions between me and Ruben Hayrapetyan are the result of 2008, and cannot affect the feelings of friendship. This was stated by Andranik Kocharyan, now a member of the majority My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia, during a TV program in 2016. The video was released by Politik.am.

"Ruben Hayrapetyan is my friend," he had said, in particular. "And the contradictions are the result of 2008, and cannot affect the feelings of friendship."

Former President of the Football Federation of Armenia, former ruling Republican Party of Armenia ex-MP Ruben Hayrapetyan recently said as follows during a program: "Ten days ago, Andranik Kocharyan, who was my ex-friend, was urging [me], through one of my friends, to flee Armenia because [PM] Nikol [Pashinyan] ordered that I be arrested."

Kocharyan had responded to Hayrapetyan's statement. "Ruben Hayrapetyan, ex-friends can no longer have mutual friends," he said, in particular. “You have chosen your circles and your friends since March 1, 2008, and have continually acted as a servant of the interests of those circles.

Moreover, during the investigation you will still have the opportunity to say who this ‘common friend’ is that has ‘conveyed’ such a thing to you.

I assure you that in the future you will have unlimited time for engaging in valuable reading."