ARMENIA IS FAITHFUL TO THE PRINCIPLES ADOPTED IN 1990

Aravot
April 30 2009
Armenia

replied Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan to Raffi Hohannisyan on
Armenian-Turkish relations yesterday

"Will one of you remind the international community who is the real
occupant of the Armenian Plateau, Naxcivan, Shahumyan [Goranboy] and
Gardman [historical name for an area in western Azerbaijan]? Second,
what clauses does the comprehensive framework agreed between the
parties include? In the light of this what clauses does the road map
[statement on the normalization of relations signed between Turkey
and Armenia on 23 April] include?" Yesterday leader of the Heritage
party [MP] Raffi Hovhannisyan, using his right to ask questions,
addressed them personally to Tigran Sargsyan.

The prime minister replied: "I am conscious very well that
Armenian-Turkish relations is a sensitive topic for the Armenian
people both in the Republic of Armenia and beyond its boundaries and
that we should be very cautious and accurate in our expressions and
assessments particularly when we are in the process of establishing
basis of diplomatic relations.

"We realize very well that there are political forces that are against
the setting up of unconditional diplomatic relations with Turkey and
opening of the borders. The discussions should be in public and we have
nothing to hide. Both our people and you, the people’s representatives,
will have a chance to give your assessments. The document will
inevitably be discussed in the National Assembly [parliament].

"I can assure you that there are not and will not be secret agreements,
secret principles and secret points. The decisions will be your
decisions and we cannot bypass transparency which is one of the major
points for us. We think that it is within our national interests
and it is our understanding that the Armenian foreign policy cannot
and should not be anti-Turkish but should be pro-Armenian. This is
a principled issue and the dispute is around this issue."

Mr Hovhannisyan wanted to learn more definitely: "The Madrid
principles, as the [OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairs [who are mediating the
settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict] claim, have been accepted
by the Armenian side. Does it mean that we legalize our deportation
from our lands in the context of Armenian-Turkish relations? Or do
we re-confirm any clause of the Kars agreement [of 1921 that defines
borders between Turkey and the South Caucasus countries]? Or do we
accept creation of commissions to study historical facts [the killings
of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1918]? Now, proceeding from
the abovesaid, I am asking a simple question. I do not speak about
the pre-conditions, I ask about the accepted principles. At this
point, has Armenia accepted any principle related to the borders
and recognition that replicates the Kars agreement? And is there an
agreement to create a commission of historians?"

The prime minister repeated his reply: "The country’s president and
foreign minister have clearly replied to this question. There have
been no such points and there will be none. We establish relations
without pre-conditions. The points that you have presented suggest
that there exist some pre-conditions. I can assure you once again
that there is no pre-condition for establishing diplomatic relations
and opening the borders. There are no such pre-conditions because the
Armenian side has made a statement from the very beginning that our
political position has not changed since 1990. We announced back in
1990 that Armenia is for the establishment of relations with Turkey
without pre-conditions. Once again I reiterate that this principled
position has not changed."

Yesterday [MP] Victor Dallakyan and [Dashnaktsutyun MP] Artyusha
Shahbazyan also quizzed the government about Armenian-Turkish
relations. Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan gave the same answers.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress