VARTAN OSKANIAN: DIASPORA WILL SUPPORT SUCH ARMENIA THAT IS THE REFLECTION OF ITS OWN WISHES AND VALUES

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 28 2006

WASHINGTON, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian who is in the U.S. on a visit took part
in the conference organized by the Armenian Assembly of America,
Armenian General Benevolent Union and Eastern and Western Dioceses
of the Armenian Church on March 27 in Washington. The conference
was dedicated to issues of Armenia. Bryan Ardouny, AAA Executive
Director, and Minister Vartan Oskanian made opening speeches at
the conference. Daniel Fried, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for
European and Aurasian Affairs, Robin Phillips, USAID Armenian Office
Director, Congressman Stany Hoyer, John Evans, U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia, Masis Mayilian, NKR Deputy Foreign Minister, as well as other
officials took part in the conference and made speeches. Below is
Vartan Oskanian’s speech provided to Noyan Tapan by FM Press Service:
“I want to thank you for the invitation to speak here today. I
especially appreciate the fact that in this hall are members
and activists from the Assembly, the Armenian Church, the AGBU,
and individuals – all of whom are here to plan together, to work
together, to register successes together. Since independence, we have
indeed registered successes together – significant US assistance to
Armenia, trade privileges, military assistance parity, progress in
genocide recognition and education efforts, a better understanding
by opinion and policy makers of Armenia’s geographic, historic and
economic limitations. If I think back, I don’t know where Armenia
would have been without the Diaspora. The dedicated, focused efforts
of the Armenian Assembly of America have resulted in a support base
that is essential for Armenia. We know we can always depend on the
real, sincere, deep commitment of the Assembly leadership and the
dedicated work of the Assembly staff. In Yerevan, we are very aware
that for you to be able to promote Armenia, its policies, its future,
Armenia must be the kind of place that you can and want to promote. The
Diaspora will promote and support an Armenia that reflects its own
best dreams, values and ambitions. The Armenian-American Diaspora
will promote and support an Armenia that is a friend of the United
States. And we are. Despite the huge geographic distance between
Yerevan and Washington, we are partners in the war on terror, in
supporting the non-proliferation of weapons, in searching for global
peace thru regional security, in supporting the rule of law, as well
as democratic and economic freedoms. Not only are we ideological
partners, but we share the values that have made America. We want
those values to be not just aspirations for the citizens of Armenia
but solid realities, to be comfortably taken for granted. The US is the
country that makes it possible for individuals to reinvent themselves
– to relocate, to take on new careers, to pursue new challenges and
new directions. Armenians have been a people who have reinvented
themselves throughout the centuries on every continent. The challenge
in this century is: for the first time in history, will we be able to
reinvent ourselves on our own land? Do we want to become a country
where every man and woman assumes they have a right to speak their
mind, to cast their vote, to affect change? Of course we do. Do we
want to become a country where we can take the impartiality of judges,
the decency of policemen and the ethics of teachers for granted? Of
course we do. Do we want to become a country where you pay taxes to
the system rather than fees to the official? Of course we do. Do we
want to become a country where the difference in rich and poor is only
a matter of time and not a matter of destiny? Of course we do. Do we
want to become a country where each person believes that he or she can
individually reinvent themselves? Of course we do. That is the Armenia
we want. That is the Armenia you want. How do we get there? You are
blissfully unaware of the difficulties and travails of the process
of becoming a democracy because Americans live in the only country
to have been born democratic. America was built fro m the ground up,
democratic institutions were defined and created as you went along. As
such, you have the good fortune to be able to take this system for
granted. The entire process of nation-building has been different
for us, since we had to undo an existing system and build a new
one. That is why we have welcomed the various US programs which have
supported our institutional, democratic and economic reforms. We also
appreciate that in anticipation of the elections of 2007 and 2008, the
US has proposed additional, targeted assistance so we can hold normal
elections and rise to the next level of democratic development. But
democracy is more than elections. Democratic institutions and processes
are not just ends. They are also means to creating the necessary
political and economic environment which lead to distributed growth and
dignified development. The cruelties inherent in the process of massive
economic readjustment which we have been making have led to a sense
of powerlessness on the part of ordinary citizens. So, democracy is a
tool for development, just as economic development is a facilitator
of democratization. This afternoon, I will be attending the signing
of a visionary instrument that drives both economic development and
democratization. The Millennium Challenge Compact is intended to
bolster development in countries where the society and leadership
comprehend their political responsibility to nurture and sustain
democratic practices. This is the single largest government investment
in Armenia’s economy. It consists of $235 million over 5 years. Before
I tell you what we’re going to do with the money, let me tell you
why we were fortunate enough to receive this grant. The US government
chose Armenia as one of the potential recipients because Armenia is
needy. That’s no secret. But there are lots of needy countries in the
world. Why Armenia? Because the US government determined to contribute
to the budgets of those countries that are themselves attempting to
grow in the right direction – to govern justly, to encourage economic
openness and to invest in people. Armenia is. And being made eligible
for the MCC is evidence of this. Simply put, Armenia is a part of the
MCC because not only is there plenty about our society that needs
to be put right, but because we are on a path that is right. This
farsighted program provides a generous push in the direction that we
have chosen for ourselves. I said to Ambassador Danilovich when the
decision was made, and I say this to you now, Armenia has the honor
and the obligation to build on the confidence that has been placed in
our government and our people. And so, even as we spend these funds to
turn mud into asphalt and to give farmers the irrigation water that
is their lifeblood, we will work to make sure that good governance
and the principles of an open and fair society take root in our
homeland. In the 21st century, philanthropy is more than charity. It
is about finding lasting solutions to deep-seated social and economic
problems. That is what the MCC intends to do. And so I am going to use
this opportunity to say to the Diaspora loudly and clearly that that
is what the Diaspora should do as well. Before I ask you to do more,
and I’m going to do just that, let me thank you for all that you
have done. The Armenia – Diaspora collaboration has been invaluable
in this decade and a half of upheaval, confusion and learning. The
value of the Diaspora is in its ingenuity, non-conformity, its belief
in a dream, its access to networks, its ability to be international
and national all at the same time, and its tremendous resources. I
am now going to ask you to partner with Armenia – even more deeply
and broadly and seriously than you have already done -in addressing
Armenia’s domestic and international challenges. Look, most of you have
been to Armenia. It is clear that not all Armenians have been able to
share in the double digit growth of which we are justifiably proud. As
soon as one leaves Yerevan, the statistics become reality: One out of
every two Armenians still lives in poverty, mostly in Armenia’s rural
areas. Half of those living in poverty, live on less than one dollar
a day. Yet, these rural men and women represent a critical portion of
Armenia’s economy. If we want to ensure that these rural communities
are not destined to remain stagnant, permanent pockets of poverty,
that Armenians are not born into a cycle of poverty, then we cannot
allow development to simply take its course. Even at this current
fast pace, it will take decades before we reach the average European
level of prosperity. We must take practical steps to intervene,
to take a short-cut towards an improved quality of life for our
rural citizens. This is the first time that I am announcing from
a podium that at the next Armenia Diaspora Conference, we will be
launching a Rural Poverty Eradication program – a kind of Diaspora
Marshall Plan for Armenia. The Millennium Challenge Account has indeed
taken on the renovation or construction of two of the most expensive
infrastructure sectors – roads and irrigation canals. Imagine that a
village will, in a few years, have irrigation water and roads. But
imagine that there will be no drinking water, no health care, no
school, no gas or electricity in that village. Imagine children
growing up in a 21st century rural community without access to
telephone, television or internet. Now imagine what we could do
together if the Armenian government, Armenia’s business community,
international organizations, and you, the Armenian Diaspora came
together to leverage the MCC contributions and to build on the MCC
momentum. Imagine a country where development is comprehensive, even,
fair and just. Imagine an Armenia whose borders are secure because
its border communities are stable, where cross-border interaction
is possible, where out-migration is minimal. Imagine a day in the
village filled with pride and satisfaction, rather than tears and
frustration. As investments and growth spread through Yerevan,
this program will coordinate information about the many wonderful,
generous programs that are already being implemented in rural Armenia
by Armenian and international organizations and individuals. This
program will work to remove the real and artificial obstacles to
productivity, and will help identify access to markets and finance
to make the village economically sustainable. If you are wondering
whether those with personal interests will allow this kind of access
and transparency, join me in challenging those who obstruct. Rally
the forces of the diaspora and the international community and see
if we can’t replace obstacle with opportunity. Through this program,
we will approach every individual, organization, parish, family and
business in the Diaspora and will solicit your participation. Your
time, your money, your expertise, your contacts – they are all
needed so that the infrastructure is rebuilt and a village is
reinvented. This program will strive to bring a new look, a new ethic,
new hope to each rural community in Armenia, starting with the border
villages first. In plain language, by eradicating poverty you will
be eradicating hopelessness. You will bring prospect and possibility
to the most vulnerable in our society. Hope, faith and confidence
transform economically empowered citizens into politically empowered
citizens. And it is they who will be the best defenders of their votes,
their voices and their rights in meetings, elections and throughout
the governing process. These are the major domestic challenges that
Armenia faces today. But our foreign policy challenges are no less
difficult and complicated. Fundamental among them are relations
with our neighbors, transportation, energy diversification and
conflict resolution. Our agenda with the US today is very broad and
diversified. We have transcended from being a one issue country and
our relations today are built on mutual respect and interest. Armenia
needs America. And America needs Armenia as a reliable partner in
the region. This year we’ll be celebrating the 15th anniversary
of Armenia’s independence. 15 years of i ndependence,15 years
of statehood, 15 years that Armenians around the world have had an
Armenia that is theirs, to which they belong, that they represent. No
longer are we just Armenian-Americans, but now, we are, whether we
want it or not, whether we feel it or not, perceived as being piece
of that country, that place. Our identity has changed. The Diaspora
exists, it will continue to exist, and you will need Armenia, not to
substitute but to complement what you have. The Republic of Armenia
exists, it is independent, and it is ours. It still needs its Diaspora,
more than ever. We must cooperate, not compete, in order to turn the
Armenia of our dreams into the Armenia of our future.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress