ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY MUST BE MORE VOCAL, SAYS MANOYAN
Yerkir
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
YEREVAN (Yerkir)–With the recent barrage of information about
an impending agreement between Armenia and Turkey on normalizing
relations, the Armenian foreign ministry must be more vocal in
expressing Armenia’s official position, said Armenian Revolutionary
Federation Political Director Giro Manoyan Wednesday during a press
briefing.
In his assessment, Manoyan said that Armenia has gone as far as to
allow Turkey to speak on its behalf, referring to statements made
Tuesday by Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, who asserted that
Armenia and Turkey were well on their way to developing a comprehensive
agreement on normalizing relations.
Manoyan went on to urge the foreign ministry to be more transparent
in its approach to this very crucial issue. The ARF leader pointed
out that while Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian delaying his trip
to Turkey could be seen as a sign of protest, but he added that the
foreign ministry should provide a more comprehensive reasoning behind
Nalbandian’s decision to not participate in the UN Civilization Summit,
choosing instead to attend the reception, where he met with President
Barack Obama.
Manoyan said Obama’s meeting Monday with the Turkish and Armenian
foreign ministers was meant to push the two countries to quickly sign
an agreement and open the borders.
"It is unclear what Tu rkey will do, because its priority right now
is to stop the recognition of the Genocide by the US," said Manoyan
adding, however, that Turkey is faced with the prospect of alienating
Azerbaijan, whose growing anger over the exclusion of the Karabakh
conflict from the Armeno-Turkish issue was expressed by Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev’s boycott of the Istanbul summit earlier this week.
If Turkey succumbs to Azeri threats and the Armeno-Turkish negotiations
do not yield the desired results in the near future, Armenia will
not continue the talks. "Our President will not want to extend the
negotiations for years. We want to see practical results soon,"
said Manoyan, affirming that diplomatic relations with Turkey would
be established and the border would be opened this year.
Manoyan characterized Obama’s comments in Turkey about the Armenian
Genocide as "positive but not satisfactory," saying that Obama missed
an opportunity.
"As the US president, he [Obama] stressed that his position on the
recognition of the Genocide had not changed. He did this for the
whole world to hear and in the presence of the Turkish president,"
said Manoyan who deemed this statement, as well as Obama’s speech in
parliament where he urged Turkey to reconcile with its own history
as a positive.
However, Manoyan added that Obama’s statements about not wanting
to tip the balance of the Turkish-Armenian negoti ations could be
characterized as giving in to Turkish threats, since the recognition
of the Genocide and the Turkish-Armenian discussions are not related.
"The international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is one thing,
while the Armenia-Turkey negotiation is another. They are not related,"
stressed Manoyan.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that any agreement between
Armenia and Turkey not compromise Armenia’s national interests. As
an example, he said any document or phrasing that might cast doubt
on the veracity of the Genocide would be unacceptable.