DIOCESE HOSTS DINNER FOR FOREIGN MINISTER NALBANDIAN

-09-29-diocese-hosts-dinner-for-foreign-minister-n albandian
Tuesday September 29, 2009

New York – On Saturday, September 26, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
and president of the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), hosted a dinner
in honor of Edward Nalbandian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Armenia.

Mr. Nalbandian was accompanied by Tatoul Markarian, Armenia’s
ambassador to the United States; Ambassador Garen Nazarian, Armenia’s
new permanent representative to the United Nations; and others.

The dignitaries met with some leaders of the Armenian-American
community in the formal reception room of the Diocesan Center in
New York.

In opening remarks, Archbishop Barsamian welcomed Mr. Nalbandian, who
was in the United States to address the United Nations General Assembly
and drum up support for his controversial recent agreement with Turkey.

In greeting the guests, Oscar Tatosian, chairperson of the Diocesan
Council, and Randy Sapah-Gulian, chairperson of the FAR Board of
Directors, said that the entire Armenian-American community has been
following with serious attention the initiatives of the Armenian
government, in its effort to normalize diplomatic relations with
Turkey.

"Armenians around the world express their views and concerns about it –
and that is natural, since so much is at stake. However, we hope that
your visit and meetings here will shed light on the protocols signed
recently with the Turkish authorities, and give more comfort to our
communities in supporting the realistic and future-oriented policies
of the Armenia government," said Mr. Tatosian.

Mr. Nalbandian thanked the Primate and dinner guests for a warm
reception, and acknowledged the Diocesan Center as a "bridge between
Armenia and the diaspora," where dignitaries from Armenia’s political,
cultural, and scientific arenas are always welcomed. "This is a
house of all Armenians," he said, "and all visitors feel proud at
this center."

The foreign minister proceeded to share his views on the most
sensitive aspects of the protocols, which have generated a great deal
of reaction around the world. He recounted in considerable detail the
negotiation process with his Turkish counterparts, which eventually
led to the initialing of the documents, which he characterized as
"groundbreaking."

"In the course of the extensive public discourse around the protocols,
some allegations are being made that are either inaccurate and do
not represent reality – or . . . worse, are distorting the essence
and the letter of the signed protocols," Mr. Nalbandian claimed.

According to Mr. Nalbandian, the entire negotiating process and the
final documents were generated at the initiative of the Armenian
government, and not imposed on the Armenian side, as some have claimed.

Negotiations without any precondition

"The history of diplomatic relations proves that all sensitive issues
between countries could be better resolved at the negotiating table,
in the framework of mutual respect and trust," stated Mr. Nalbandian
in his address to the guests at the Diocesan Center.

"We have never shied away from declaring on any possible occasion,
from any international podium, that Armenia does have unresolved issues
with our neighbor, including the recognition of the Genocide," he said.

"We have made it absolutely clear to our Turkish counterparts, and
no preconditions were ever discussed or agreed upon in the process
of preparing the protocols."

Turkey’s three preconditions for the opening of the border and
establishment of diplomatic relations have been (a) recognition by
Armenia of the current borders and Turkey’s territorial integrity,
(b) an end to the campaign for universal affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide, and (c) withdrawal of Armenian forces from territories
claimed by Azerbaijan. The protocols explicitly recognize the
current border and Turkey’s territorial integrity. They provide for
a commission to examine historial issues; Turkey has sought such a
commission as a way of casting doubt on the Genocide. The protocols
do not link normalization of relations to developments in Karabakh,
but the Turkish prime minister has stated as recently as last week that
Turkey would not open the border without that precondition being met.

Mr. Nalbandian continued: "The establishment of diplomatic relations
between our two states will set the start for a long-term dialogue
between the diplomats and representative authorities, during which
the two countries will seek a resolution to many historic, and new,
bilateral problems."

An open and cordial question-and-answer session followed
Mr. Nalbandian’s formal remarks. Guests at the dinner, representing
a cross-section of the American-Armenian community, raised their own
concerns and asked the foreign minister to clarify numerous matters
that had been circulated about the protocols.

Mr. Nalbandian fielded every question, and even shared intimate
details about the documents and the processes and negotiations behind
their preparation.

"Some critics – either not deliberately, or with an obvious political
intent – are claiming to see things that are not in these documents,
and have never even been discussed in the negotiations," Mr. Nalbandian
said.

"Contrary to what is being speculated, no one-sided concessions,
no hidden or open preconditions, were made by the Armenian side. The
documents have clearly stated what has been achieved at the negotiating
table:

All issues of bilateral relations would become agenda items of
further negotiations between the two governments, after the diplomatic
relations between Armenia and Turkey are established, and the borders
are open." said Mr. Nalbandian.