ARMENIA CANNOT INFLUENCE BUT INITIATIVES ARE NOT USELESS

Lragir
Feb 11 2008
Armenia

The Armenian foreign policy needs new approaches, fresh ideas, a new
vision, says Arthur Baghdasaryan who met with the representatives
of NGOs on February 11. With regard to foreign policies and the main
challenges to this sphere, Arthur Baghdasaryan said it is necessary
to come up with initiatives regarding the Karabakh issue, and we need
more intensive propaganda abroad to raise awareness of the Karabakh
issue among ordinary Europeans.

Arthur Baghdasaryan said in the years of the former and present
government the Karabakh issue was the prerogative of one or two people,
whereas for a more fruitful policy public discourse on this issue is
necessary. The presidential candidate criticizes both the approach
that development in Armenia is impossible unless the Karabakh issue
is resolved, and the approach that everything is fine, and we are
moving ahead.

A question was asked on the preventive role in case of the escalation
of a U.S.-Iran conflict, which according to the environmentalist
Karine Danielyan Armenia may perform, especially if it succeeds to
give the sides a specialist explanation of the destruction depth
bombs may cause which may be used in case such a conflict occurs.

Arthur Baghdasaryan said they realize the danger even without Armenia’s
explanation, and perhaps Armenia will not be able to act as a mediator
between them, cannot influence their decisions, even if their decision
is undesirable for us. However, the presidential candidate also said
even if the mediation or initiatives are not useful, they will hardly
aggravate the situation, therefore initiatives will not be useless.