– The pro-government and opposition powers of the parliament have not accepted your recommendations. What were you trying to find out with these two recommendations?
– I wanted to discover the deal the authorities have undertaken. As well as I wanted to make the people in the parliament, who are loyal to press the buttons any time they are told to do so, understand that the truth is hidden from them too. First, I wanted to discover the fact that by agreeing with Turkey to establish a committee of historians the Armenian government has agreed to discuss whether there was genocide. I believe this issue should not be subject of discussion for the committee of historians. They should adopt a law to prohibit the people participating in any events which put the fact of the Genocide under question (I mean only the officials and people officially representing Armenia). It does not mean that we should adopt something like the Turkish article 301, which concerns all citizens of Turkey and should be condemned. As a result of refusing to adopt my recommendations the authorities confess that they have made a deal and they already have an agreement that the goal of the committee of historians will be making the issue of the Genocide subject of discussion. I will also explain why the provision on establishing a committee of historians was included in the requirements of Turkey. It is a result of Robert Kocharyan’s policy that the issue of the Genocide international recognition is a goal of Armenia’s foreign policy since 1998. It is a dangerous mistake and we have numerously spoken of this since 1998. Now the incumbent government escapes from giving an answer to the question whether the international recognition of the Genocide continues to be a goal of Armenia’s foreign policy. Even though I believe this issue has lost its significance and is not actual any more, let them answer this question if they can.
– Why was the inclusion of the Genocide international recognition issue in the agenda dangerous for Armenia’s foreign policy?
– The consequence is that Turkey in order to normalize relations with Armenia claims another pre-condition besides the one on the NKR resolution and that is the Genocide issue, which is already being realized in the form of the intergovernmental committee. It means that a mine is set on the basis of these relations, which can blow up everything. As a result of Kocharyan’s political course this issue has become an obligation for Armenia. This doesn’t have an international precedent. Relations between the states are not built on bargaining historical facts. Those facts are not reviewed. If Israel and Iran develop diplomatic relations they will not bring up the issue of Holocaust for discussion, will they? This is absurd.
– And what did you wish to find out by submitting your other proposition?
– The second is that the RA government agreed and adopted the Armenia-Turkey relations and the NKR issue in one package. If these two issues are not linked to each other then they should be the first to ratify the protocols but also set some deadline for Turkey. The government should bring up the condition that if Turkey doesn’t ratify the protocols within reasonable period of time then the protocols should be considered invalid. Turkey needs some time to bring the NKR issue as a pre-condition via its parliament. The government of Armenia announces that it will undertake certain steps if Turkey doesn’t ratify the protocols within reasonable frames. And what is the problem for Armenia to ratify the protocols and claim the opening of the border in a reasonable time frame. They don’t ratify those because they cannot undertake such steps because a deal was cut and the RA government has already agreed to consider the NKR conflict as a pre-condition. By not accepting my second proposition they once again prove that a deal has been cut. Now all the political forces and our whole society must understand that the only way out is the change of government. There is no alternative.
– Dashnaks don’t demand change of government. It has chosen another tactics of struggle. Why is it unacceptable for you?
– The Dashnaks don’t accept that the government, which has political prisoners, totally rigged elections, manslaughter of March 1, including the membership of the ARF to the government coalition; don’t have the capability to resolve the internal and external challenges of the country. Only a democratic Armenia and a government elected by the people can implement a program conforming to the interests of the nation. In fact the ARF doesn’t wish that Armenia has any relations with Turkey at all. It is also against the opening of the border. We were always supporting the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations but not for the sake of doubting the historic facts. Let me also add that in fact the ARF still remains a part of the government, or more accurately to say an annex to the government.
– Do you think Turkish parliament will ratify the protocols?
– No doubt that Turkey will not ratify the protocols without an essential progress in the NKR conflict resolution. Regarding the genocide issue Turkey has already received its old dream by fully freezing the process of the genocide recognition in the world. Now Turkey is moving to the second phase by fully disputing the issue of the genocide through the historical committee. Besides, I think that in the near future serious processes will start around the NKR conflict resolution because I repeat that the RA government has agreed to discuss these two issues in one package.
– In your opinion, what are the pressures on Armenia regarding the Armenia-Turkey relations and the NKR conflict resolution?
– The absence of legitimacy has deprived the Armenian government to withstand the foreign pressures. The Armenia-Turkey relations didn’t need any mediation but the Armenian government agreed to that. And now they are saying that the mediators will pressure on Turkey. But I think that the situation is that Turkey is the one that puts pressure on the international community. Turkey urges them to rush the NKR process. The Turkish leadership exposes this fact through its daily statements. Turkey also declares that the signing of these protocols is a part of its program to establish peace in the south Caucasus. This once again proves that in order to stretch the governance of the current government the Armenian authorities agreed to cut a deal on two issues – the genocide and the NKR conflict.