ARMEN RUSTAMIAN: IF ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES CHANGE THEIR POLITICAL COURSE ARFD WILL COME OUT OF COALITION
Noyan Tapan
Apr 24, 2009
YEREVAN, APRIL 24, NOYAN TAPAN. We should keep the memory of Armenian
Genocide victims by struggling to restore their lost rights, Armen
Rustamian, a Representative of the ARFD Armenian Supreme Body, who
visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex of Armenian Genocide victims
on April 24, stated in his interview to journalists. In his words, we
should not damage, break that struggle. It should be mentioned that
the day before the party adopted a statement condemning the joint
statement of Armenian and Turkish Foreign Ministries the day before
the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Day, on April 23. ARFD declared
its intention to discuss the issue of coming out of the political
coalition one of these days.
According to A. Rustamian, ARFD was taken aback by the hour, conditions
of adopting the statement of RA and Turkish Foreign Ministries,
as well as by the circumstance that the statement’s content was
not discussed with them: "it is certainly, a very important issue
connected with the coalition activity," he emphasized. According to the
ARFD representative, the problem is not statement’s proper content:
ARFD is not against normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations, the
most important is that the statement was adopted the day before April
24. "If the same statement were adopted a month ago, a month later, it
could have absolutely another significance, we would not be indignant
so much. To fit it into the context of the world-known commemoration
day of the Genocide means to carry out what Turkey wishes, directly or
indirectly, that is the problem, and, yes, it can be used by Turkey,"
A. Rustamian said.
In response to the question of when ARFD is going to discuss the issue
of coming out of the ruling coalition A. Rustamian said: "The Armenian
President was not here. <…> We should make sure whether it is a
sign of change in the political course, whether it can be this way:
it indeed can be seen, the continuation will lead to it. These issues
should be made clear with the President." A. Rustamian explained that
if the political course changes ARFD will come out of the coalition
without fail. "We have always been in the coalition for the political
course, <…> it is the main issue for us, otherwise we would also
cooperate with Levon Ter-Petrosian if we did not have a difference
in political courses," he stated.