Vazgen, blessed are you that you did not witness the depopulation of Armenians from Karabakh, that you did not see the rulers of Armenia dancing to the tune of our adversary. — Serzh Sargsyan
"Vazgen, how fortunate you are that you did not witness the depopulation of Armenians from Karabakh, nor the spectacle of Armenia’s leaders dancing to the tune of our adversary." This was stated by the third President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, during the program "Tête-à-Tête," dedicated to the memory of Vazgen Sargsyan.
"The last time I spoke with Vazgen was on October 25th—if my memory serves me correctly, it was a Monday," Sargsyan recounted.
He shared that on the preceding Sunday, he had spoken with President Robert Kocharyan, who conveyed that "Arkady Ghukasyan had called him to say it was necessary for Serzh Sargsyan to go to Karabakh." Sargsyan responded affirmatively, noting that he had a meeting scheduled for Monday and that, furthermore, Vazgen Sargsyan would be returning from Ararat.
"I saw Vazgen on Monday and told him about this proposal." He said that I was doing the right thing by going; he told me to go and explain to the men there that not only the fate of Karabakh, but also that of Armenia—and, in the grand scheme of things, the Armenian people—depended on their conduct, their unity, and their actions. He also instructed me to pass through Horadiz on my way back and see what the situation was like there. We talked about various topics, had a glass of whiskey, and he wished me a safe journey.
On Tuesday, I went to Stepanakert. I then set off for Horadiz. If I am not mistaken, it was around 5 o’clock when my deputy, Gorik Gurgenich, called me. At that time, I was the Minister of National Security. He reported that there was gunfire at the National Assembly, and then informed me that a group of people had entered and shot Vazgen, Karen Demirchyan, and others. I told him to send a helicopter immediately.
The National Security Service did not have a helicopter of its own; it had to request one from the Ministry of Defense. "A considerable amount of time passed, but the helicopter did not arrive. Realizing that a helicopter could not land in Horadiz at that hour, I made my way to Goris, and then to Yerevan. I won’t go into the rest, as it is unrelated to this topic," recounted Serzh Sargsyan.
He also remarked: "Sometimes I ask myself: if, by some miracle, I were to meet Vazgen in the afterlife, what would I say to him? Various thoughts and ideas come to mind, but I am inclined to say this: 'Dear Vazgen, it is a great pity that you departed this earthly life so soon.' And after a brief pause, I would add: 'Vazgen, how fortunate you are that you did not witness Armenia’s capitulation, the depopulation of Armenians from Karabakh, the utter destruction of the Armenian army, or the sight of Armenia’s leaders dancing to the tune played by our adversary.'" Serzh Sargsyan is convinced that had it not been for Vazgen Sargsyan—or rather, the "Vazgen Sargsyan type"—the history of Armenia would have unfolded differently, and the course of history would have been altered.
"I believe that, in any case, the time will come when I will speak about many more truths; it is just that now, taking certain circumstances into account, I decided to speak a little," said the third President of the Republic of Armenia.
