Urgent announcement: David Sanasaryan

Former head of the State Security Service, David Sanasaryan, wrote on his Facebook page:

"Urgent announcement.

Excluding the third force: my appeal to the Catholicos and the Prime MinisterDear compatriots, the military defeat of 2020 was not limited to the borders; it opened deep and dangerous cracks within the state itself. Cracks that turned into political division, polarization of public hatred, and distrust between the pillars of society and statehood. These cracks are widening day by day, undermining the foundations of our statehood. The tension between the layers of society has reached a dangerous point, and the hostile atmosphere formed between key state institutions has already turned into a real security threat. There is not even the slightest agreement in the political field for the sake of the country's existence and independent future. Moreover, the aggravation of relations between the Government and the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church has crossed boundaries that are unacceptable within any state.

In this situation, silence is destructive, and waiting with hope is self-deception. Considering the increasing instability both internally and in the region, we need urgent, weighty steps aimed at overcoming tension and preventing clashes. It is with this awareness that I appeal to Catholicos Garegin II and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Dear friends, it is time to meet and talk directly, without intermediaries. But if there is a complexity or necessity in the format of the meeting, I am ready to assume the responsibility of a mediator as someone who has not been a party to this conflict at any stage, but cannot watch and wait for Armenia's security to be undermined day by day, and internal divisions to deepen, which will lead to irreversible situations.

Until such a mission is committed to third forces and they do not offer to temporarily place peacekeepers between our Government and our Church, or until they offer to temporarily hand over our Government and our Church to their rule, it is necessary to hurry to implement the law on the exclusion of third forces. As a political and public figure, I have called for restraint and peace since the beginning of this conflict. I did not participate in the skirmishes and did not exploit the tension of the situation. I propose:

Separate meetings with both parties,

And then, a joint discussion, with only one agenda: overcoming internal tensions in Armenia and establishing constructive dialogue. What I propose is not a political platform. It will be a unique opportunity to demonstrate state responsibility, to initiate a civilized conversation at a high national level. This is not just a meeting of two individuals or structures. This is the first step towards national unity, to turn back from the dangerous path that divides us, which foreigners acting against Armenia will not hesitate to use.

We don't have time: the crisis won't resolve itself.

"If we cannot sit around a table and talk to each other, we will lose more than we can imagine now. I am preparing to reach out to both sides to discuss the details of the meeting."