Armenia must stand on its feet to conduct effective negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Second President Robert Kocharyan, the leader of the "Armenia" bloc that will run in the snap parliamentary elections on June 20, stated this during a meeting with the residents of Tsaghkahovit  village in Aragatsotn Province.

"Today it is an unfavorable situation for negotiations. Conducting negotiations from a weak position is ineffective. It will take 2-3 years to stand on [our] feet; then we will be able to conduct negotiations. The Russian peacekeepers [in the region] are now providing security. The [respective] mandate of the peacekeepers is envisioned for 4.5 years. After that, the Azerbaijanis will have the opportunity to demand their withdrawal. I believe then we will stand up on our feet and negotiate from another position," Kocharyan added.