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WHERE ARE WE ARMENIANS AND WHERE ARE WE GOING?

05:18 pm 24 March, 2006

`EUROPE HAS SERIOUS PROBLEMS’

`I am afraid that speaking about the collision of civilizations we
will ignore our national development’, advisor of the RA Foreign
Ministry Ashot Voskanyan expressed his concern during the discussion
with the theme `Collision of Civilizations and Armenia’ in the
`Mirror’ club. According to him, it would be better to think not about
the collision of civilizations, but about the solution of social
problems.

The Advisor considers the expression `collision of civilizations’
dangerous and artificial. Mr. Voskanyan fears that the collision
Russia-USA which started during the Soviet times can be replaced by
that of civilizations.

Mr. Voskanyan reminded that when he represented the issue of RA
membership to CE, a number of Europeans asked if the Armenians are
Europeans, `When I said that we are Christians, they said that the
people in Latin America are Christians too, but it doesn’t make them
European’.

Ashot Voskanyan was convinced that Armenia will not be a full member
of CE for a long time. According to him, it is clear for the Europeans
what we want, but they do not understand what we will give them.

Before referring to the main theme, the second guest of the `Mirror’
club Hrach Bayadyan tried to explain what civilization and especially
Western civilization is. As for the confrontation of East and West Mr.
Bayadyan thinks there must not be clear-cut boundaries. «When we speak
about the confrontation of East and West, we spread the ideology
created by the West».

Ashot Voskanyan had a different concept of the West, «The West is
Europe in the extreme, and USA is the West of the West». According to
Mr. Voskanyan, before speaking about civilizations, we Armenians must
understand what our own society is. «For centuries we failed to have
not only statehood but also a society».

He also spoke about his concept of Europe, «Europe has serious
problems. They follow the path of self-purification. The society must
discuss the problems within itself. That is to say, there is a section
in the society which raises these problems. This is Europe. »

To note, during the discussion no one failed to find out which
civilization is Armenia in, where it is going and what it can gain and
lose on its way.