A MEETING AT CONGRESS TO FIND ARMENIA’S PLACE IN EUROPE

Azg/arm
26 July 05

‘There is no other issue more important for Armenia than becoming a
democratic state’

What is Armenia’s place as it walks towards Europe? To find the answer
to this question the Foreign Ministry of Armenia, Friedrich Ebert
Foundation and the Armenian Center for Humanitarian Studies (ACHS)
organized a gathering “Armenia on the way to Europe” at the Hotel
Congress on July 23, with the presentation of a book of the same
title.

Tigran Torosian, chairman of the Commission on European Integration
Issues at the National Assembly, stated that Armenia still remains a
country in transitional period but with no serious reforms. He
mentioned that further democratization of Armenia connected with
constitutional changes can be put in doubt. Torosian thinks that the
European integration should be out of question as it is important for
the inner life of the state and for the Nagorno Karabakh issue.
“Being part of Europe, we should not be backbenchers. Today, we need
resolute steps”, Torosian said.

Tigran Davtian, deputy trade and economic development minister,
pointed out that Armenia’s per capita GDP has increase from $800 to
$1200 for the last one and a half year, and Armenia lags behind
Bulgaria, another EU candidate, by only 30-40 percent. “We are a
European state, a member of the Council of Europe. We entered the
European Neighborhood Project a year ago and have to follow the rules
of the European game”, Davtian said emphasizing that the EU is the
greatest trade partner of Armenia importing 40 percent of Armenian
goods.

Editor-in-chief of Aravot daily newspaper Aram Abrahamian and lawmaker
Shavarsh Kocharian shadowed the optimism of Tigran Torosian and Tigran
Davtian by raising the issue of violation of human rights in
Armenia. Abrahamian thinks that the key issue before deciding on
European integration is what motivates us within the country –
interests or values.

“If it is the values that motivate our deeds then that’s it: we shall
join Iran, perhaps Cuba or North Korea as being motivated by values
only sounds good but in practice, in Armenian reality, it means
allowing the ‘priests’, their representatives holding the values to
dictate their will to the society”, Abrahamian said noting that in
order to integrate into Europe we need interests to motivate us. “But
how to contrast these interests? By means of agreements, of
course. And dialogue is, naturally, the mechanism to come to
agreement”.

The editor pointed out dialogue in the mass media, “The press has the
character of monologue. Approaches of TV companies are also that of a
monologue but not by the demand of the viewers but of the
President”. Abrahamian thinks that whole our culture is monological as
Armenian citizens are not civic-minded and the society is feudal.

Shavarsh Kocharian highlighted two issues: where is Armenia today and
what issues are primary for us — national or European. “There is no
issue other more important for Armenia than becoming a democratic
jural state”, he underscored. The lawmaker cast doubt on the
irreversibility of Armenia’s European integration. From among the
former Soviet countries, the Baltic States have already joined the EU
whereas Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Byelorussia have chosen
dictatorship. Kocharian thinks that communist Moldova, Ukraine and
Georgia are the next standing closer to Baltic States. Russia, Armenia
and Azerbaijan are on the junction of European democracy and Asian
dictatorship.

By Tatoul Hakobian