Archbishop and Karabakh MP involved in negotiations with rebels in Yerevan

Pargev Martirosyan, Archbishop of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, has called on for a peaceful resolution of the situation with the seizure of the police regiment building in Yerevan. On July 21, the negotiations with the rebels were held by Vitaly Balasanyan, a deputy of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the morning of July 17, supporters of the "Constituent Parliament" seized the building of the police regiment of the patrol-and-security service in Yerevan. During the seizure of the building, one policeman was killed, and other six persons were injured. The negotiations with the rebels, who seized the building, are underway, and four police officers are still held hostage. According to activists, for the third day, the rebels and their hostages still stay without food.

Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan has arrived in Yerevan in connection with the situation with holding hostages at the police regiment building. The Archbishop has stated that he expects a peaceful outcome of the situation, since any undermining of the political situation affects the situation in the Karabakh conflict zone.

Pargev Martirosyan has appealed to the activists and policemen, standing on different sides of the barricades in Khorenatsi Street. He has called them on to cease undermining the domestic situation and in no case to raise their hands against each other.

Vitaly Balasanyan, a hero of the Karabakh war, a deputy of the National Assembly, came from Nagorno-Karabakh to take part in the negotiations with members of the armed group. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by a supporter of the "Sasna Tsrer" (Daredevils of Sassoun).

According to him, Pavel Manukyan, one of the rebels, has confirmed the information about the meeting with Vitaly Balasanyan. However, the source has refused to disclose the details of the talks.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.