DASHNAKTSUTIUN DOES NOT AGREE TO CHANGE OF ARMENIA’S FOREIGN POLICY TO TURKEY

Noyan Tapan
Dec 20 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Dashnaktsutiun does not agree to
the change made in Armenia’s foreign policy to Turkey lately. Armen
Rustamian, the Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations, a representative of the ARFD Armenian Supreme Body, said
in his interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent.

It should be mentioned that formerly the Armenian side considered
Turkey’s recognizing the Armenian Genocide as a precondition for
Turkey’s membership to EU, while at present official Yerevan considers
its relations with Ankara from point of view of preference of Turkey’s
membership to EU.

"We think that if Turkey joins EU in this condition, it will mean that
not Turkey was europeanized, but Europe became Turkish. We do not wish
a Europe, which will become Turkish, we wish a europeanized Turkey,"
A. Rustamian said.

In his words, the recognition of the Armenian Genocide has been turned
into an independent international process, which cannot be suspended
by any side.

"This is an issue, which is in an exclusively legal field, the last
instance of solution of which is the international court: if Turkey
does not recognize the Genocide, it does not mean that the process
should be stopped," A. Rustamian said. As for receiving a compensation
from Turkey, according to A. Rustamian, the very international court
should decide the issue of compensation.

He regretted to say that the Turkish party with different motivations
refused to take part in the parliamentary hearings on Armenian-Turkish
relations, during which the view of the Armenian public was presented
in an unbiassed way. According to A. Rustamian, today one should
speak not about relations not existing between the two countries, but
about Turkey’s position in this issue. He affirmed that the formed
situation should be considered a non-announced conflict and Turkey
should be recognized as a negotiations party of the conflict.

A. Rustamian also said that the two countries’ executive powers are
marking time and the best way to come out of the formed situation is
parliamentary diplomacy, which is more free, can give a new spirit
to the issue and find new solutions.