"ENMITY DOES NOT ARISE AND DOES NOT DISAPPEAR BY ITSELF," IS SAID IN JOINT STATEMENT OF "NIKOL AGHBALIAN" UNION AND "MITQ" ANALYTICAL CENTER

Noyan Tapan
Dec 24 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. On the occasion of the "Days
of Azerbaijan" organized by the Caucasian Center for Peacemaking
Initiatives on December 17-20 in the Mkhitar Sebastatsi educational
complex by the assistance of the Embassy of Great Britain in Armenia,
the ARF "Nikol Aghbalian" Student Union and the "Mitq" Analytical
Center came up with a joint declaration. The document, in particular,
runs as follows:

"The public and political organizations of Armenia have voiced
very different estimations concerning this event. The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has welcomed the holding of the above-mentioned
event in Yerevan and, for example, a group of representatives of
the Armenian internet presented Georgy Vanian, the Chairman of the
Caucasian Center for Peacemaking Initiatives, with a soap (According
to Armenian tradition, soap symbolizes flattering to oppponent).

The representatives of the ARF "Nikol Aghbalian" Student Union and
"Mitq" Analytical Center discussed the created situation with Levon
Mkrtchian, the RA Minister of Education and Science, Georgy Vanian,
the Chairman of Caucasian Center for Peacemaking Initiatives, Ashot
Bleyan, the Principal of the Mkhitar Sebastatsi educational complex,
as well as with the representatives of various non-governmental
organizations. During those discussions a number of details of the
above-mentioned event, which were left out of the center of attention
of the Armenian press, have been clarified. First of all, it became
known that the RA Ministry of Education and Science was informed of
the event to be held in the Mkhitar Sebastatsi educational complex
late. Otherwise, according to Minister Levon Mkrtchian, they would
interfere so as the event would be organized out of that institution
and would not bear the "Days of Azerbaijan" title.

The second fact is that the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
given a positive mark to that event, taking into consideration
the international interests. However, we believe that under these
circumstances it would be right to qualify similar events just from the
point of view of the intra-Armenian problems. We agree that a permanent
enmity with neighbour Azerbaijan does not follow from the interests of
either Armenia or Azerbaijan. However, together with this it should
be understood that enmity does not arise and does not disappear by
itself. A number of regions of the Historical Armenia are still under
the rule of Azerbaijan. However, irrespective of that circumstance, the
authorities of Azerbaijan are continuing to make bellicose statements
at the highest level with regard to the intention for settling the
Artsakh conflict through a military way. In Baku, the circumstance
that they are considered to be a defeated side by the results of the
latest Karabakh war, is not taken into consideration at all.

Therefore, under these circumstances, we are sure that the
Armenian side has no problem in looking for conciliation ways with
Azerbaijanis. Moreover, we are of the opinion that it would be more
right if Days of Armenia were held in Azerbaijan. Only in case of
that kind of disposition among Azerbaijanis, the signature of an
Armenian-Azerbaijani conciliation agreement will be possible. And
the continuation of the above-mentioned bellicose statements will
inevitably cause the restart of war.

Unfortunately, not everybody realizes that fact in Armenia. They
continue to invite Azerbaijanis to our homeland, without taking into
consideration the opinion of the wide strata of the Armenian public
field and without making a similar national and delicate problem
subject for a public discussion.

Azerbaijani guests coming to Armenia hear, in fact, not the common
opinion of the Armenian people but the position of separate individuals
or at best that of an organization, which can both coincide, as well
as countervail with the thinking of wide public strata.

As it became clear to the representatives of the ARF "Nikol Aghbalian"
Student Union and the "Mitq" Analytical Center after the meeting
with Georgy Vanian, the started program still has a continuation:
a composition competition and events of the same format will be held
in January-February, 2008 as well, where the Turkey will become a
subject for discussion. The participants of the meeting expressed
their concern to Georgy Vanian with the fact that in this case the
question becomes more than delicate. Georgy Vanian did not give a
distinct answer to the questions of what concrete subjects have been
proposed to pupils or whether the problem of the Armenian Genocide
will be touched upon or whether it will be left out as that of Artsakh
in case of Azerbaijan. Incomprehensible remains the question of with
what format are the participants of the above-mentioned program going
to have a dialogue, when Turkey is the occupant of the great part
of the territory of Armenia and the country, which annihilated and
deprived more than 2 million Armenians of their homeland."

The authors of the statement call to the initiators of the program,
scientific-educational and state institutions, as well as public
and youth organizations for making similar national problems
a subject for discussion and for taking part in the further
activities of the program organized by the Caucasaian Center for
Peacemaking Initiatives. Confidence is expressed that through that
way it will be possible to introduce a more complete opinion on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani and Armenian-Turkish dialogue to the society of
the involved countries.