At a press conference today at the RA National Assembly, MP Gagik Minasyan, a member of the ruling Republican Party and a member of the government delegation now engaged in "dialogue" with the opposition HAK, gave a positive spin to the process.

MP Minasyan claimed that the talks would lead to several initiatives incorporating the resources of all political parties in the country for the betterment of the state and the people.

"It's a complex issue and such a process hasn't been seen in any post-Soviet country. It is testament to the fact that we realize the seriousness of the problems that must be resolved," said the MP.

Also at the press conference was ARF MP Artzvik Minasyan who declared that the interests of the state must never be subsumed for personal gain.

MP Gagik Minasyan elicited laughter from the reporters when he responded that, "You will not find anyone in our party that puts personal gain over the interests of the state."

When asked if there was any "neutral" site in Armenia where the two opposing sides could sit down and discuss the issues at hand, MP Artzvik Minasyan declared that the offices of the ARF afforded such a locale.

The ARF MP then directed a not so veiled critique of the dialogue process by saying: "Get married, get a divorce, dialogue and eat; do it all. But no one can claim to speak in the name of the interests of the people, negotiate and enter into certain agreements, by not taking into account the overwhelming majority of the people."

To which MP Gagik Minasyan countered, "My dear friend, dialoguing is a God-given right. We are also talking to you, the ARF. Aren't we talking to you? No one can deprive another of this right."