DIALOGUE BETWEEN RAFFI HOVHANISYAN AND TIGRAN SARGSYAN

LRAGIR.AM
19:07:12 – 29/04/2009

On April 29, during the discussion of the Armenian government and the
National Assembly, the head of the Heritage Party Raffi Hovhannisyan
addressed questions to the Armenian prime minister Tigran Sargsyan in
connection with the Armenian and Turkish relations, saying that it is
necessary to give up the joke of the words "without preconditions"
and being transparent as the newly appointed prime minister was
pledging a year ago.

Raffi Hovhannisyan asked Tigran Sargsyan whether the prime minister
or any other person is going to give an answer to Erdogan who stated
that in the UN Armenia should be considered as occupant. He asked also
whether anybody is going to remind Turkey who occupied the Armenian
historical territories, Shahumyan and Karabakh. The next question was
about the roadmap, in particular the provisions the latter contains.

Tigran Sargsyan answered that they are realizing very well that this
is a sensible topic for the Armenian nation in Armenia and out of
it. And, he said that the government has to be very cautions with their
statement especially if it concerns establishing diplomatic relations
with Turkey. He recalled that the Armenian foreign minister Nalbandyan
described in details the policy of Armenia. The prime minister
said that there are political forces which do not want the Armenian
government to establish relations with Turkey without preconditions
and to open the border. But he said that all the discussions on this
topic will be public to enable the Armenian people and the National
Assembly to assess them. He added that the decisions taken in this
connection will be those of the National Assembly.

Tigran Sargsyan said to have another important issue to dwell on,
stating that the Armenian policy will never be anti-Turkish, but it
has to be pro-Armenian.

Raffi Hovhannisyan disagreed with Tigran Sargsyan and asked directly
whether there is the point in the Armenian and Turkish agreement
concerning the implementation of the agreement of Kars and setting
up the commission of historians to study the genocide issue. Tigran
Sargsyan answered that there have not been and there are not such
points as Armenia are establishing relations with Turkey without
preconditions. He stated that Armenia’s stance has not changed since
1990 adding Armenia has been stating since then that we are for
establishing relations with Turkey without any precondition. Tigran
Sargsyan assured everyone that the Armenian and Turkish agreement
does not contain such provisions.