VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN: ATMOSPHERE CREATED IN SOCIETY ALSO IMPORTANT IN
SOLUTION OF KARABAKH ISSUE

YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA National Assembly
Deputy Speaker Vahan Hovhannisian, receiving on May 26 the OSCE
delegation, in the staff of which Ambassadors Carlos Sanchez De Boado
(Spain), Mette Kongshem (Norway), Alex Berg (Germany) and Maria-Pin
Kotbauer (Liechtenstein) were, touched upon the events taking place in
the innerpolitical life of Armenia, forthcoming parliamentary and
presidential elections. The NA Deputy Speaker attached importance to
holding of the forthcoming elections in correspondence with free, just
and democratic standards. He touched upon also amendments being made
to the Electoral Code, expressing a hope that the amended variant of
the Electoral Code will already be adopted in early autumn. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the NA Public Relations Department, Vahan
Hovhannisian aprreciated the OSCE mission’s activity in Armenia and
attached importance to implementation of different programs. Touching
upon the Karabakh conflict settlement and the Armenia-Turkey
relations, the Ambassadors mentioned that relations with Turkey will
become easier in the case when the conflict will be solved. Vahan
Hovhannisian responded that the Karabakh issue was not among the EU
membership conditions put in front of Turkey, and it would not be
normal, if the Turkey-EU relations were provided by relations of
third, forth countries which are not EU members. Presenting Armenia’s
position concerning the Karabakh problem and attaching importance to
role of international parliamentary organizations in the problem
settlement issue, the NA Deputy Speaker expressed a viewpoint that not
only the contents of proposed solutions but the atmosphere created in
the public to what extent the authorities prepare societies to mutual
compromises are important in the problem solution. The Armenian
authorities, unlike the Azerbaijani authorities, never make military
statements, do not propagate war and hatred. One can find no
publication in Armenian press that sows hatred towards Azeris, when
the Azerbaijani press, text-books are full of statements arising
hatred towards Armenians, even in children’s radio-TV programs
negative figures are always Armenians, what causes little hope that
the Azerbaijani society is being prepared for mutual compromises. As
the EU policy is open borders, open society, free trade, in Vahan
Hovhannisian’s opinion, the conflict settlement is possible in
conditions of mutual cooperation, regional economic cooperation what
Turkey and Azerbaijan obstacle by their policy. Implementation of the
EU New Neghborhood policy in the region becomes difficult in these
conditions as the EU programs are based on integration and
cooperation. V.Hovhannisian expressed a hope that solutions will be
found if the EU policy principles are used towards Turkey as well
which blockaded Armenia.