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QUESTIONS THAT MAY OCCUR TO BOTH EUROPE AND US
Hakob Badalyan
Largir , Armenia
Dec 13 2007
In an interview with the Financial Times the prime minister of
Armenia Serge Sargsyan pronounced a stance on the Armenian and Turkish
relations which contradicts to the line of official Yerevan.
The point is that Serge Sargsyan stated that for Armenia wants Turkey
to enter the European Union because it may foster the improvement of
the relations of Armenia and Turkey. Meanwhile, it is known to everyone
that official Yerevan urges the EU to stipulate that Turkey should
recognizer the Genocide and open the border. Serge Sargsyan's stance
is closer to Levon Ter-Petrosyan's vision of Armenian and Turkish
relations rather than the policy worked out by Robert Kocharyan and
implemented by Vardan Oskanyan. Perhaps it is not accidental that
during the rally on December 8 Levon Ter-Petrosyan had criticized
Kocharyan's and Oskanyan's approach toward the Armenian and Turkish
relations and noted that Serge Sargsyan's stance is more rational
and practical. In fact, Serge Sargsyan was not late for proving
with action that the observation of the first president, although he
had hardly aimed to confirm Levon Ter-Petrosyan's statement when he
spoke about the Armenian and Turkish relation in an interview with
the British newspaper.
It is clear that Serge Sargsyan's purpose was different, namely to
appeal to Europe as a politician who is open, free from the ties of
nationalistic thinking, close to modern perceptions. Presently it
is difficult to evaluate if he will succeed because words should be
supported by actions, in other words, Serge Sargsyan should prove
with action that he is such, namely with regard to the Armenian and
Turkish relations. After all, Europe not only reads Serge Sargsyan's
pronouncements in the Financial Times but also in the Armenia media.
In a briefing a few months ago he had stated on the closure of Radio
Liberty in Armenia they call Robert Kocharyan and him a Turk but they
tolerate even that. Therefore, the question may occur if the word Turk
is associated with the notion of a neighbor and a partner or it is,
nevertheless, a word which takes our prime minister immense effort
to display tolerance.
Besides, there are questions that arise from the interview of Serge
Sargsyan with the Financial Times. Namely, when he notes that if
Turkey enters the EU, its relation with Armenia will improve, does
Serge Sargsyan mean the recognition of the genocide and lifting the
blockade, the two cornerstones of this relation, after the entry of
Turkey to the EU? For its part, does it mean that Armenia will stop
urging the countries of the EU to offer these issues to Turkey as a
stipulation? Besides, does the pronouncement of the prime minister
suggest that Armenia is going to withdraw the recognition of the
genocide from its foreign political agenda and will prefer discussing
it with Turkey rather than a third country?
Hakob Badalyan
Largir , Armenia
Dec 13 2007
In an interview with the Financial Times the prime minister of
Armenia Serge Sargsyan pronounced a stance on the Armenian and Turkish
relations which contradicts to the line of official Yerevan.
The point is that Serge Sargsyan stated that for Armenia wants Turkey
to enter the European Union because it may foster the improvement of
the relations of Armenia and Turkey. Meanwhile, it is known to everyone
that official Yerevan urges the EU to stipulate that Turkey should
recognizer the Genocide and open the border. Serge Sargsyan's stance
is closer to Levon Ter-Petrosyan's vision of Armenian and Turkish
relations rather than the policy worked out by Robert Kocharyan and
implemented by Vardan Oskanyan. Perhaps it is not accidental that
during the rally on December 8 Levon Ter-Petrosyan had criticized
Kocharyan's and Oskanyan's approach toward the Armenian and Turkish
relations and noted that Serge Sargsyan's stance is more rational
and practical. In fact, Serge Sargsyan was not late for proving
with action that the observation of the first president, although he
had hardly aimed to confirm Levon Ter-Petrosyan's statement when he
spoke about the Armenian and Turkish relation in an interview with
the British newspaper.
It is clear that Serge Sargsyan's purpose was different, namely to
appeal to Europe as a politician who is open, free from the ties of
nationalistic thinking, close to modern perceptions. Presently it
is difficult to evaluate if he will succeed because words should be
supported by actions, in other words, Serge Sargsyan should prove
with action that he is such, namely with regard to the Armenian and
Turkish relations. After all, Europe not only reads Serge Sargsyan's
pronouncements in the Financial Times but also in the Armenia media.
In a briefing a few months ago he had stated on the closure of Radio
Liberty in Armenia they call Robert Kocharyan and him a Turk but they
tolerate even that. Therefore, the question may occur if the word Turk
is associated with the notion of a neighbor and a partner or it is,
nevertheless, a word which takes our prime minister immense effort
to display tolerance.
Besides, there are questions that arise from the interview of Serge
Sargsyan with the Financial Times. Namely, when he notes that if
Turkey enters the EU, its relation with Armenia will improve, does
Serge Sargsyan mean the recognition of the genocide and lifting the
blockade, the two cornerstones of this relation, after the entry of
Turkey to the EU? For its part, does it mean that Armenia will stop
urging the countries of the EU to offer these issues to Turkey as a
stipulation? Besides, does the pronouncement of the prime minister
suggest that Armenia is going to withdraw the recognition of the
genocide from its foreign political agenda and will prefer discussing
it with Turkey rather than a third country?