A1+

«THEY DID NOT BEAT US; WE LOST OURSELVES»
[07:03 pm] 27 October, 2006

`Armenia has always faced a dilemma; it used to be
between Byzantium and Persia before, and now it is
between the West and Russia’, announced member of ARF
Dashnaktsutyun Alvard Petrosyan in `Pastark’ club
during the discussion of Armenian-Russian relations.
Mrs. Petrosyan who has grown up in Russian atmosphere
and considers Russian literature one of the greatest
achievements of the world, also considers servility
and blind admiration for the Russians unacceptable.

`Once there were Russian painters in our house who
asked me if we love them. I answered that we wouldn’t
love them if we had any alternative’. Alvard Petrosyan
admits that it’s impossible to solve many problems
without Russia, but the fear that we can’t live
without them is destructive for us.

Alvard Petrosyan can’t stand it when someone comes
Armenia and calls us an outpost, «I’m not angry with
the Russians; I’m angry with us. They did not beat us;
we lost it ourselves».

According to Mrs. Petrosyan, it is fashionable today
to love France, «I highly appreciate their culture,
but France would never adopt the resolution if they
didn’t need it themselves. Protecting us, France
protects itself. At this rate the Eiffel tower will
become the highest mosque of the world».