LONDON—Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian, in a speech at the renowned Chatham House, said that he would send the protocols for ratification to Armenia’s parliament, adding that the Turkish parliament should ratify them first.
“After this meeting at Chatham House I intend to instruct my personnel to send these documents to Armenia’s National Assembly for starting the ratification process,” said Sarkisian during his speech, which was part of his official visit to the United Kingdom.
During a press briefing following his remarks, Sarkisian said that he expected the Turkish parliament to ratify the documents before Armenia moves forward.
“The parliament of Armenia will vote on the protocols if the Turkish parliament goes ahead with that,” he said, reported the Thomson-Reuters news agency. “Otherwise we can find ourselves in a situation where the Armenian parliament ratifies and the Turkish parliament fails to.”
PRESIDENT’S SPEECHValues and Security in the South Caucasus
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In outlining Armenia’s commitment to the protocols process, Sarkisian reiterated his commitment to normalization by saying, “We have agreed to move forward without any pre-conditions, not making our relations contingent upon Turkey’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide.”
“However, if, as many suspect, it is proven that Turkey’s goal is to protract rather than to normalize relations, we will have to discontinue this process,” he asserted.
“I reaffirm that as the political leader of the parliamentary majority, I exclude a failure by Armenia’s parliament to ratify the protocols in case of their ratification by Turkey without preconditions in accordance with our understandings,” he said.
During the post-speech briefing, Sarkisian also commented on Turkey’s continued contention with a ruling last month of Armenia’s Constitutional Court, which paved the way for Sarkisian to submit the documents to parliament.
“It’s only the Turks that are trying to find something in it,” said Sarkisian, reported RFE/RL. “Nobody else, no other involved party, sees anything strange in that decision.”
Armenia’s high court ruled that the protocols were in line with Armenia’s constitution, adding the Turkey-Armenia normalization process should not be linked with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process—a widely articulated pre-condition by official Ankara—and that based on Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, Yerevan would not be deterred in pursuing international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
“Would the Turks have been happy if our Constitutional Court had ruled that these protocols do not conform to Armenia’s constitution?” he said. “Maybe they would have been happy, seeing as they are trying to use every opportunity to torpedo the process.”
“I can’t understand why the Turks … attach so much importance to the Constitutional Court’s decision. It’s an integral part of our domestic decision-making process,” added Sarkisian.
“Did we say in those protocols that the Republic of Armenia calls into question the genocide?” emphasized Sarkisian. “Did we ever say during the negotiations that we are going to hamper the process of international recognition of the genocide? If the Turks think we did, it’s not our fault.”
To demonstrate his administration’s commitment to regional stability and peace, Sarkisian told the audience at the Chatham House British Institute of International Affairs that he would invite his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, to the “potential opening ceremony of the Turkish-Armenian border.”
Karabakh Was Never Part of Azerbaijan
In one of the most assertive discussions on the Karabakh conflict, Sarkisian told the Chatham House gathering that Karabakh was never part of Azerbaijan, and ruled out any “pressure-driven concessions” in the Karabakh process that could threaten the security and physical existence of the people of Karabakh.
“The truth is that Karabakh was never a part of independent Azerbaijan. It was forced into Azerbaijan by a decision of the Soviet Union party authority, which, defiant of the League of Nations decision and the popular referendum as a means of determining the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, decided in its Caucasus Bureau session in 1921, under Stalin’s direct pressure, and in violation of the procedure, to annex Mountainous Karabakh on the condition of forming a national autonomy on these Armenian territories within the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan,” explained Sarkisian.
The Armenian president also outlined the many instances of Soviet Azeri attempts to depopulate Karabakh of its Armenian residents and the vehement resistance by the Armenian population, which continuously rejected the Soviet model of its existence.
Sarkisian cautioned about taking out of context public declarations about Karabakh, saying that the Karabakh conflict was multi-dimensional in scope.
“The problem can only be resolved in the context of the international law principles of the self-determination of nations, territorial integrity, and the non-use of force. All the stakeholders now realize this truth. Whenever one refers to the Mountainous Karabakh conflict, the notion of territorial integrity should not be emphatically underlined, especially that even if that notion is perceived to be the only one applying in the case of the Mountainous Karabakh conflict, it would not lead to its application in the form envisioned by Azerbaijan,” explained Sarkisian.
“I would like to pose a rhetorical question to all who consider themselves advocates of territorial integrity. Where were they when the Soviet Union collapsed and the borders changed? Where were they when Yugoslavia was falling apart? Why do you think that Azerbaijan could secede from the USSR, but Mountainous Karabakh could not? Why do you think that large empires should disintegrate, but small ones should persevere? What is the basis? Instability? I cannot perceive it. I do not accept it. Because unfair decisions are the very cause of instability,” added the president.
Sarkisian warned that Azerbaijan was continuing its “war rhetoric” and its stockpiling of weapons and urged Western powers that are spending billions on Azeri oil to be vigilant, saying “they cannot remain indifferent to how their moneys are being spent.”
“The fact is that these very proceeds can become a source of threats, something that has happened elsewhere in the past,” cautioned Sarkisian.
“Armenia and Karabakh have never unleashed and never will unleash a war. We despise war, as our generation was forced to look death straight in the eyes, and has seen and lost more than can be imagined,” said Sarkisian.
“However, we realize that we must be ready for war in case others wish to fight. We cannot turn a blind eye to recurrent belligerent threats coming from a neighboring state, whose President’s New Year address to his people sounded no different from the speech of an army commander motivating his units for a battle. The war rhetoric is intensifying in the Caucasus. Armenia predominantly refrains from responding to the threats. Quoting John Kennedy: ‘we do not need to utter threats to prove that we are firm. However, it does not solve the problem. Threats also amount to violence, and violence usually begets violence,’” explained Sarkisian.
“Our belief is that the settlement of the Karabakh conflict should be based on human rights and the will of the Karabakh people as an expression of their collective identity. It is the only way to achieve lasting, feasible, and peaceful settlement. The alternative to this settlement is the forcing of the Karabakh people back into Azerbaijan, which will inevitably lead to attempts of new ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Karabakh. There is no alternative here, especially given that Azerbaijan has labeled the vast majority of the Karabakh population as “criminals” over the last two decades. Hence, in view of the consequences of this alternative, we clearly rule out any pressure-driven concessions in the Karabakh process that would threaten the Artsakh people’s physical existence, security, and right to live in dignity,” countered Sarkisian.
I am impressed by Serzh Sarkisian. He has finally learned something about international relations, perhaps even from the Turks.
This is an incredibly smart move. He is sending the protocols to the parliament while pointing out that the Turks have been trying to sabotage the process ever since the papers were signed and, accordingly, making it clear that it is incumbent upon the Turks to pass the protocols first, which they will not do. They won’t do it because first, they won’t want to make it seem like they are submitting to Sarkisian’s request and second, because if they do, it will backtrack on all of the preconditions they have placed on passing the protocols in the first place: attaching the NKR issue, the “issue” with the Constitutional Court.
So, Sarkisian knows Turkey will not ratify the protocols because of these reasons and he beat them to the punch by putting the ball in their court. Not only that, he put both Turkey and Azerbaijan in check and in a pretty forceful manner. He unequivocally asserted NKR’s right to independence, in essence telling Turkey to shove it when it. This move in and of itself almost definitely precludes Turkey from passing the protocols because it would just blow up in the face of all of their top politicians somehow connecting the process to an NKR settlement.
I didn’t expect such a suave diplomatic move but I am indeed impressed.
The protocol ratification process in Turkey reminds me of a saying that all politics is local. If the rulling party in Turkey ratifies the protocols in the parlament then its members risk backlash from their local electorate and loose in the next election. This threat of loss in their local districts can force them to vote against the protocols. This will give Armenia what it needs and show the world that Turks cannot be trusted.
Although at times I do feel that I am missing something in this whole political “game”. Was Armenia’s goverment really that clever in their diplomatic maneuvering or was it just luck? Or how about the Turks, what did they expect when they started this process? Were they really that shortsighted? Did they think that Azeris and their population can be convinced to go along with the process?
I just think we should be very causious and not celebrate too soon.
To answer your questions:
No, I do not think that Armenia’s government, Sarkisian included, expected it to turn out this way. I also think that Turkey miscalculated Armenians’ willingness to go along with their suggestions and those of the great powers’. They probably saw the protests that the Armenian government faced as encouraging because the RoA seemed unaffected by them. So, before even the ink on the protocols was dry, Erdogan started to run his mouth about Karabakh, essentially insulting Sarkisian’s intelligence in thinking that he could so easily attach the NKR issue without any consequence. Nonetheless, it was luck that Sarkisian even had this opportunity because although the protocols may have succeeded if they were implemented expeditiously, Turkey was just ceaselessly embarrassing him and his government internationally by its rhetoric – something I’m sure he found unacceptable.
It was expected that Turkey would try to gain more concessions from Armenia before this whole thing was over, it was just a question of when they would try and how they would go about doing it. I think sending Erdogan out there was a major diplomatic foul-up and I am surprised that this mistake was made under Davutoglu’s typically savvy diplomatic style.
From the rhetoric of the past few months, the Turks have tested the Armenians but they pushed too hard and it has now blown up in their face after Sarkisian pulled off this remarkable, and likely unexpected, maneuver.
SHAT SIRELI PARUN NAKHAGHAH, SHNORHAKALUTYUN DZER HAIRENASIRAKAN GHEGETSIK YELUYTI HAMAR ARTSAKHI VERABERYAL
SEVAKE ASUM E , , “ARAKINI GHEGETSIK KHOSKER SHAT KARELI E ASEL DA DZHVAR CHE. BAYTS MARDU KHOSKE KSHIR E DZERK BERUM AYNKANOV, VORKANOV BRNUM E ASOGHI SEPAKAN, ANDZNAKAN VARKAGDZIN YEV GHORDZIN:
SA E ARAKINUTYAN DZHVARE YEV DRA MIAK CHAPANISHE”….
TOGH ARTSAKI HAMAR HUSOV APRENK … BAYTS VOCH ” PROTOCOLI” NMAN
CHEZOK HAI
USA
Եղբայր ինչ՞ու հայերէն տառերով չես գրում հայերէնը։
Why is this traitor still President of Armenia?
What is the alternative, caose in the country? thats what the enemy is waiting for. If nothing else, he is fast learning. It is Turkey on the diplomatic ropes now any way you look at the whole situation.
Why do you think without Serj there’ll be chaos? I don’t admit the notion of election fraud and vote rigging. The guy is illegitimate, he doesn’t enjoy the broad-based support in the country. The system under him is corrupt, anti-popular, and authoritarian. Is this what you want in your motherland. Aren’t there erudite, capable, patriotic, and public-spirited Armenians, or we all consist of thugs and crooks like Serj and his clique?
He (Sarkisian) just got back to the track, we can trust him now.
WOW! Very powerful speech. I take back everything I said about President Sarkissian. Now he is talking like a Tashnagtsagan. I support everything he said in this speech. I think the Turks fell into Sarkissian’s trap and they don’t know how to get out. BRAVO MR. PRESIDENT!
john!! now he is talking like HYE not like tashnagan!
Krikor, to me HYE and Tashnagtsagan are synonimous.
I am still very causious and think that we cannot drop our guard. You can never be 100% sure how these things end. I am just waiting for the fat lady to sing.
Very good Mr Serj, now you are talking, keep talknig like this, and the Armenian people will certainly follow you as a united force.
I for one never doubted his intentions in all this. He and his Republican party have again proven that they have more political savvy and sophistication than all our traditional diasporan political parties combined. Again, excellent speech by him. Hail to the chief!
Պատահում է հավատում եմ, որ Հայաստանը հուսալի մարիկ են կառավարում:
Այսօր նման մի օր է:
seems like he is playing the game properly! could be a trap for the Turks we dont know, this speech is something about it.
finaly!! achkheris chem havatum!!!
Wow… I’m the first one here, it looks like everyone else is reading this over and over…….
Hey Guys someone please send a copy of this article to what’s his name?… Roodik and all the gang of LTP followers, he still keeps mudslinging to anyone who doesn’t like LTP not realizing that after his last attempt LTP is archived as part of the black pages of the Armenian history.
Oops I guess not, while I was typing some people jumped in before me.
Let’s see how the Turks react to the upcoming Congressional hearings scheduled for March 5 on the Armenian Genocide Bill. Even more attention should be paid to what position the O’bama administration takes. Congressman John Murtha isn’t with us anymore to oppose recognition but we still have to deal with the paid Turkophile Congressman Dan Burton and foreign agent Alex Rossmiller. Let me think. Has President O’bama ever backed down on his promises?
The ball is now in the The United States’ court. The timing couldn’t be better. God bless President Sarkissian. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the hearings on C-SPAN? We’ve been waiting now for 95 years.
You all are right. Turkey had no intention of retifying the protocols; unless there was complete capitulation by Armenia. So, as Mr Sassounian brought up in the Cal. Courrier in August 09, I hope Turkey will blink first and that will give the Armenian Lobby the leverage needed to pressure Obama into keeping his promise. We should also be able to pass the resolution this year, and put an end to the Turkish blackmail of US congress.
Garo
Long live free and independent Armenia and Artsakh. Long live our struggle to free Western Armenia from tyranny and occupation of Turkey. Put Genocidal Turkey on trial for crimes against Armenians and humanity.
So he will be Knighted by Queen!! that is interesting…
Serj just checkmated the Turks. The Turks are now in a lose lose position.
I think and Hope, that, we are out of the Roller-Coaster…,
I SECOND THAT MOTION, BRAVO MR. PRESIDENT!!!
Yes I agree with the majority of the comments above. Sarkissian finally thank GOD got into the right track. It was a very powerful and justified good speech at Chatham House. Like William that said above, Sarkissian very intelligently and diplomatically (as a Tashnagtsagan) put the ball on Turkey’s lap. About Artsakh; he told them both they can go where the sun doesn’t shine. Now I am beginning to see the light and I am not going to call him a traitor; but a Hay kach deghamart. Thank God we needed this after worrying about it for a year now. Very good speech Sarkissian.
I’m amazed at the extent of intellectual and linguistic degradation in the speeches of modern statesmen, although Serjik obviously is far from having erudition, mentality, human values, behavioral characteristics or intellectual level he could descent from. He’s fixated on his non-achiever level at which he’s known to have been at school in Karabakh and on extra-mural level of higher education that in the Soviet times was considered a sign of insufficient mental abilities. Just words, empty phrases focused exclusively on the foreign audience. Repetitive, redundant, low-level, linguistically poor stock of words, hastily-prepared, disgustingly poorly-drafted speech. Is this a political leader? Jeez… Look at his provincial, simpleton face, absolutely unrepresentative type. What do quotes from Mark Twain and John Kennedy have to do in a British setting? Had he himself ever read any Mark Twain novels? Nice words for the foreign audiences, but wide-spread corruption, criminal structures and management, lawlessness, disregard for the most basic human rights, impoverishment of his own citizens, repressions, rigged elections, etc. etc. at home. Who buys these empty words given all these, especially after his disgusting handling of the protocols? On whose behalf he’s ratifying the protocols knowing that the prevailing majority of Armenians in Armenia and the Diaspora are fiercely against these essentially anti-Armenian, defeatist, and humiliating documents? On his own behalf? On behalf of his narrow-minded, submissive criminal puppies in the parliament? Who’s going to listen to the voice of your people, Mr. Unelected and widely hated president? My goodness, will representatives of intelligenzia, well-educated, highly-literate, and responsible erudite ever reach high echelons of power in Armenia?
Wow Tatevik….. What a volcanic eruption….
No one considers the Northern Polar Bear in this equation, that Bear after collapse of USSR was hibernating when 4 of the new Republics including Azerbaijan got in bed with West; where in case of Azerbaijan they also lost the Caspian oil to the West.
That woke up the Bear and to punish them they helped us to kick them out of Artsakh; by doing that they took Artsakh hostage to stop Armenia from becoming the fifth Republic; LTP who was flirting with West was removed and since then both of our presidents are from Artsakh and Russian boot is constantly is on their tail.
(See my bellow related comment about the “Speech”)
He knew what he was doing from the beginning. He (and everyone else with half a brain) knew that Turkish parliament will not ratify the protocols, therefore he went along with their bluff. He is more saavy, and intelligent than diasporan armchair QBs gave credit to him.
Raymond,
Please see my comment about the “Speech”.
Words are cheap. As old Armenian proverbs say,
1. Կապրէնքշ կտէսնէնք
2. Ճտէրն աշնանն են հաշվում and last but not least, Ծիծաղում է նա, ով վէրջում է ծիծաղում
Harut Sassounian soulful article in Armenian Weekly and Walter Scott poem (1771-1832)*
Stimulated me to write instantly ,stanzas from our never-ending pain.
Walter Scott’s Poem* ‘Foldden Battle’
and Armenian Genocide
If Walter Scott did not forget the Foldden Battle (1513)
And he wrote his poetic major work ‘Marmion’(1808)—
Which past more than three-hundred years on that canning event.
In Scotland: in his grand-grand-grand father’s land.
Where he was unbirthed yet.
Had he heard battle stories in his mother’s womb!
How can Armenians’ forget their genocide (1915-1923)?
Where the clever genes of Armenians savagely smashed.
Now what left, are sample of their populace genes.
In spite of all slaughtered brains**,
They continue giving to the world
Endless inventions and arts.
“How an ancient race can forget their crushed skulls
still in Anatolian land weeplessly yells.”
How humanity can accept such unfair tragedies,
Where no one can sense smashed human dendrites.
Even Arab Bedouins’ offspring
Know all the stories and some remember
Their beautiful dedicated Armenian grandmothers faces
With their mental and physical scars of Turkish scimitars.
While so called Christian civilized MP’s
and congressional representatives
on innocent Armenians’ crushed skulls politically dance,
enjoying their drink and dine.
Attending ceremonies, shaping their wrinkled faces with
expensive colorful surgical make-ups,
I can see, all will vanish if they remain ignoring every human right.
Sylva Portoian, MD
February 11, 2010
______________________________________________
*Walter Scott’s Stanza, ‘Oh, what a tangled web we weave,
when first we practice to deceive’
Now I can understand why Scottish Parliament recognized Armenian genocide and English Parliament not yet!!!
** It is evident that 75% of Armenian in their Anatolia (Armenian land) vanished.
However, our ruined churches still existing there without church bells.
The Presidents thoughts have always been what he expressed in his speech. Just because politicians don’t express what some people want to hear or express them in a different manner does not necessarily mean they do not share the same goals we all have for our Motherland. The President and the Prime Minister have played the diplomatic game brilliantly. Turkey thought they can stretch their muscles in the international arena and force pressure upon Armenia from multiple directions which have been and will continue to be fruitless. The blame will squarely go to Turkey. Let’s imagine the protocols are ratified and the border opens, what would happen? Armenia will only benefit from this and Azerbaijan will lose. Armenia will have a land route to the sea and to our historical motherland. Many negative events will develop when we start travelling to Western Armenia but I see more positivity out of it. Georgia is not reliable at all and charges very high rates ONLY for Armenian cargo. Christian they may be but their current policies are very anti Armenian. Neither the President nor any politician has during anytime compromised the interest of the Armenian nation. Nor the President or the Prime Minister or any other Armenian politician has questioned the Genocide nor have they questioned the reality of Artsakh staying in Armenian hands. The protocols do not anywhere mention the reality of the Genocide nor do they touch upon the Artsakh situation. Just because it states there will be a historical commission does not mean we are questioning the issue of the Genocide, no matter what Turkey thinks or says. The conclusive words of the Constitutional Court would exactly have been the answer to the Turks had they brought the Genocide and Artsakh issues on the table after ratifying the protocols and the opening of the border. The President didn’t need the Constitutional Court to remind him of his duties to the Armenian nation.
It is naïve of people to think Mr. Sargsyan will betray national interests.
Mr. Sargsyan may be a crook, but a crook that will actually put up a fight and has for Artsakh unlike Levon Ter-Petrosian who had agreed at some point for Artsakh to stay within Azerbaijan.
The word traitor that I have heard and read so many times directed to our current President should actually be directed to our first President.
Diplomacy is an art and we should read between the lines and see things in grey instead of black and white unless ink touches paper and the ink on the protocols is satisfactory for the Armenian nation.
Great job, M Sarkisian!!! Let God support you and all our nation!
The last paragraph concerning Karabagh should be trumpeted from the rooftops.International public opinion needs to be alerted to the danger inherent in any concession on Karabagh that endangers the lives of its people.
There is a bottom line which no right-thinking human being (be he Armenian or not) should cross but the international community is not aware of this and keeps pushing Armenia for more concessions without considering their inevitable consequences.Peace at any price?Ask Churchill….
The only impressive thing about Sarkisian’s speech is the degree he is willing to go as a gambler. He knows very well that the basic premise of the protocols are flawed and in the long-term AGAINST the interests of Armenia. At the time he HAD to sign them because he HAD TO. No one should forget that what he was doing then was offering his “services” to the main international powers for his own sake. He is simply continuing that process, but this time with a little more confidence because of Turkish “hesitation” regarding these protocols. The Turks may or may not ratify these protocols. If they don’t, the sky is not going to fall over Ankara, they have done much worse and all they have gotten is a slap on the wrist. No one should be naive to think that Turks do not like these protocols and if they do ratify them it will look like they did Armenians a big favour.
As for Sarkisian, he is hoping that a situation has been created to help him get out of the jam, but in the meantime he continues to up the ante by offering other concessions. Look how he has focussed on Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast as never having been part of Azerbaijan. Nothing, not even a hint , about the regions around Artsakh being Armenian. Forget about Shaumian, Getashen, Martunashen.
This guy is in for himself and is declaring in London that he is their man. Wait till next elections!!
thank you , so the man is Armenian i suppose
Bravo Mr. President!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Turks have fallen in your diplomatic trap and they will not be able to get out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BRAVO!
It’s incredible that the few individuals that have any monetary gain from these protocols have been leaving posts on asbarez supporting this illegitimate “president-thug”. I’m just curious aren’t there any pro government online newspapers that they could leave their comments on? I’m being told the protocols are at an impass, they are dead!
Regardless of if the Turks sign the Protocols, Pres. Serz Sarkisian should definitely tell the Armenian Parliament to not sign. Armenia will be the loosers.
Indeed a good speach!
Let us hope that he is back on right track again. He is a smart man but playing a very dangerous game. We are not only talking about the Genocide, Karabagh or West Armenia. No if he fails with whatever game he might be playing then we are talking about loosing our dream of one Armenian Nation under one flag on the holy Armenian lands!
Yes; it would have been a good speech if it was done earlier; like right after that Turkish monkey under Azeri pressure put the Artsakh on the table as a “condition”, I mentioned this earlier in a related article that all this started with Obama scraping the Bush’s missile program in Europe, that brought Russia to the protocol table in Geneva and since then SS was not allowed to make any out of line comments; then magically right after Obama announced his new missile program in Turkey and Persian Gulf countries; Russia raised the gate and our Bull jumped out; got on the plane; shot a missile down to Turkey followed by some heavy long range from UK; also we should relate to this the Kocharian’s “Personal” trip to southern neighbor followed by the renewed frozen relationships.
Honestly I got excited too but let’s keep our cool and give it some more time, there is always time for celebration.
Dear Yeghpair Haro Mherian Ph.D. Mathematics, UCLA
My computer have no Armenian Font
sirov Ishkhan
Dear Ishkhan,
If your computer’s operating system is one of MS Windows later editions( XP, Vista or 7), you can easily activate Armenian Fonts by using built-in foreign language support
Regards
Եթէ այս տողը կարդում էք, ուրեմն՝ համակարգիչը հայերէն տառատեսակ ունի, իսկ եթէ Windows XP ունէք ապա ուրեմն՝ ստեղնաշարի պակասութեան հարց է։
Ինչեւէ հարցս այնն է որ լատինացումը հայերէն գրութեան մեզ աւելի շուտ կտանի ոչնչման քան ցեղասպանութիւնը։ Կամ հայերէն գրէք հայերէն տառերով կամ էլ անգլերէն։ խառնակութիւնը լաւ բան չէ։
Some of us Armenians think that it is not worth spending a couple of hours to put Armenian fonts and keyboard on our computer system. Well, guess what, I spend 2.5 years to develop the Armenian Spellchecker, font and new extended keyboard for Armenian language, and will post the package at http://www.hyspell.com.
I loved every part of the President’s speech in London. I have been constantly writing in my posts on Asbarez..com about educating the international committee about the truth with Karabagh. He did it in a highly publicized, international forum. Kudos to him. This is what I had in mind. I was jumping with joy when he announced, or rather reminded everyone that Karabagh never belonged to Azerbaijan to be called an “occupied” Azerbaijani territory. We need to now drive this message home, at every opportunity, basically killing the territorial arguments of the other side. It was an also well balanced speech, which respected the history and legitimate rights of the Armenian Diaspora, reconfirmed that Armenia’s utmost foreign policy is the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He did this graciously, linking the recognition of the Armenian Genocide to the prevention of Genocides in general. And in closing, he encouraged tourism to Armenia, by calling it an “interesting” country. The President is on the right track, and I hope he will stay on that track. It does not take much for the Armenian people to reunite around its leader. It only takes the right words, attitude, and most of all the correct deeds. Communication is key between the leaders in Armenia, the population in Armenia, the Diaspora and Artsakh. It is when we are united in spirit and purpose that we become unpenetratable to others. We need to always recognize that the main purpose of all the other countries is to divide us along our weaknesses, to conquer us better, and to take advantage of our resources for their own benefit. This speech by the President was a uniting speech, and for that we should applaud him.
Compatriot Mr. Karasarkissian Many thanks, I will try…
—————————————————————————-
Dear Mr. Mherian , Armenian cause is more sacred and sublime task than wasting our precious time for thecnicalities . With all respect I disagree with you it will be be at least unfair to compare First 20th century Armenian Genocide with anything….. Then Turks can claim that by using Latin Character they encounter genocide ? …
Dear Compatriot Since this discussion is not productive I suggest to end it ….
Thank you,
Retired Armenian Physician