RAFFI HOVHANNISIAN: ARMENIAN-TURKISH "FOOTBALL DIPLOMACY" IS NOT A CONTINUATION OF CHINESE-AMERICAN "PING-PONG PRECEDENT"

Noyan Tapan
April 22, 2009
Yerevan

The leader of the "Heritage" party Raffi Hovhannissian presented his
evaluation of so called Armenian-Turkish football diplomacy during
the press-conference on April 17 in Hayastsk club.

Mr.Hovhannissian also made some parallels with the Chinese-American
"Ping-Pong" diplomacy. According to him, every historical phase has
its own logic and there is no need to cherish an illusion state that
this is a continuation of the Chinese-American precedent. At least
it was symmetry there, and two super-powers used sports to gradually
solve their problems.

Meanwhile we have asymmetry, the leader of the "Heritage" party
said. One side, a dominion, deprived of its compatriots, and the other
side officially continuing the policy of denial. "We ought to restore
the symmetry. Either we move forward without any precondition, as three
presidencies of Armenia suggested with circumspection. Either it is
time for everybody to reveal their preconditions and their national
questions in the matter of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish
relations", told Raffi Hovhannissian, the leader of the opposition
"Heritage" party, deputy of the parliament.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress