YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Armenia’s notorious former Acting Education Minister Ashot Bleyan–who once advocated for the abolishment of Genocide curriculum from Armenia’s schools–resurfaced after a year of silence to advocate for Karabakh’s autonomy within Azerbaijan.
"For 70 years Karabakh has lived under Azerbaijan and it was not depopulated of Armenia’s. Thus it [Karabakh] knows the methods of living [under Azeri rule]," stated Bleyan–adding that there were no fundamental differences in the "step-by-step" and "collective" approaches to the Karabakh peace process.
The former minister–currently the chairman of Armenia’s True Path party and the director of the Mkhitar Sparapet Educational Center–added that when the Karabakh issue became a political one and entered the international arena–discussion on its status as an autonomous entity under Azerbaijan was inevitable.
He argued that the international community was interested in maintaining the principles of inviolability of borders and territorial integrity.
As Acting Education Minister–Bleyan–on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide–proposed the abolishment of Genocide education and curriculum from Armenia’s public school system–rationalizing that such a curriculum would scar Armenian children–producing a generation of tragedy-stricken individuals.
In breaking his silence–after being marginalized politically–Bleyan declared that Levon Ter-Petrosyan had a responsibility–under Armenia’s constitution to protect and maintain Armenia’s national security and independence–thus his [Ter-Petrosyan’s] approach to Karabakh conflict resolution is a prudent one and protects Armenia’s national interest.
Bleyan added that Ter-Petrosyan should be commended for fulfilling his constitutional responsibilities.
Ter-Petrosyan–at a press conference earlier this month–supported the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group proposal of a "step-by-step" approach to the Karabakh conflict and declared that the Karabakh movement had hindered Armenia’s ability to emerge from its socio-economic troubles.
This posturing has elicited major opposition–including a statement from Arkady Ghoukassian–who rejected the proposal brought forth by the OSCE Minsk Group.