Tert.am
00:36 ¢ 05.10.09

There Will Never Be a Split Among Armenian People, Says Sargsyan

On October 2 in Paris, during a meeting with representatives from
various Armenian community organizations and structures, Serzh
Sargsyan discussed the week-long Pan-Armenian tour, reported the
President of the Republic of Armenia press office.

During a ceremony held on the evening of the same day, Sargsyan drew
attention to the process of establishing Armenian-Turkish relations
and the key concerns and views expressed by Armenians in Armenia and
the Diaspora to the pre-signed Protocols.

Noting that such a meeting is in and of itself unprecedented, that is,
listening to various opinions of Armenia people around the world and
discussing their approaches on subjects of pan-national significance,
President Sargsyan said: `This auditorium represents a collective
strength, a hundred thousand European-Armenians has the power to
advise, and that I am registering proudly. That strength has solved a
great deal of pan-Armenian issues over decades; it [that strength] has
been consistently by and remains by Armenia’s side. And it will
remain; for centuries, Armenia has been the refuge for Armenian
people’s dreams. And today, we are together, this time to consult [one
another] on the issue of making decisions, for dividing the labour on
[this] important path.’

Sargsyan once again denied the possibility of any preconditions
whatsoever in the issue of establishing relations with Turkey,
highlighting that negotiations have followed and continue to follow
exclusively along that line of thinking.

Speaking about the pre-signed Protocols, Sargsyan said, `Those
Protocols are merely the beginning steps of establishing
Armenian-Turkish relations. Other than creating the most tolerable
environment for negotiations, they [the Protocols] don’t solve other
issues at this time; on the contrary, they foresee the means to
discuss current issues and to resolve them over time. Their purpose is
to pave the road for establishing relations
ppropriate for civilized countries in the 21st century.’

The Armenian president, in his concluding speech, summarized the key
opinions and views, and all the concerns expressed during his visit,
responding to participants’ questions. `I don’t believe the time has
come to talk about the split among the various segments of the
Armenian people. I am confident that such a time will never come,’
assured Sargsyan.