SERZH SARGSYAN: UNNATURAL SITUATION AGAINST ARMENIAN, TURKISH INTERESTS

News.am
12:53 / 10/07/2009

"The present unnatural situation in the Armenian-Turkish relations
does not meet the interests of either Turkey or Armenia. Bilateral
diplomatic relations and reopened borders will form a more or less
tolerable atmosphere for progress in the dialogue and negotiations,
RA President Serzh Sargsyan stated during his visit to Beirut on
October 6.

The RA presidential press office reported that the Armenian leader held
meetings with over 100 representatives of the Armenian communities of
Near East, Egypt, Iran and the Persian Gulf, as well as of national
organizations.

President Sargsyan designated as "helpful" the meetings held during his
pan-Armenian tour and pointed out most valuable proposals concerning
the Armenian-Turkish relations besides the arguments "for" and
"against".

Addressing the concerns over the Armenia-Turkey normalization process,
the Armenian President said: "I, too, have concerns. In many cases I
try to compare my anxiety with that of the pessimists, who, considering
the bitter experience of the past, believe that Turkey can by no means
be talked to. On the other hand, can concerns be an obstacle to the
establishment of relations?" The Armenian leader pointed out concerns
during the two most important periods in Armenia’s modern history,
namely, the declaration of independence and armed struggle for the
freedom and self-determination of Nagorno-Karabakh. But the people’s
faith in their own strength produced the desired result, Sargsyan said.

The Armenian leader stressed that the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide is not only a matter of historical justice, but also an
all-important factor of security of Armenia and the Armenian people. As
regards the concerns over a the possible enhancement of Turkey’s role
in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, President Sargsyan stressed:
"The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be settled only after we see we
have got what our people have 1988."

Serzh Sargsyan made a speech at a sinner party in his
honor. After addressing the history of the Armenian community in
Lebanon, the Armenian leader spoke of the prospects of Armenia’s
development. According to him, Armenia has never had such favorable
conditions. Speaking of the goal of his visit to Beirut, the Armenian
President said he needs to know the local Armenian community’s position
and concern. "But I am also here to call on you to trust Armenia. It
does not mean being idle and waiting for instructions. It is out of
the question. Trusting Armenia means actively responding to Yerevan’s
initiatives and demanding that it do what the Homeland is supposed
to do for all the Armenians bereft of their Homeland. We have many
friends worldwide, but there exist hostile forces dreaming of building
up walls of distrust between different parts of the Armenian people,
causing a split not only between individual communities, but also
between Armenia and Artsakh, Armenia and the Diaspora. These forces
are not just dreaming, but are actively working. They are well aware of
our most powerful ‘weapon’ – our unity, which can move mountains. The
only thing for us to do is to realize this," President Sargsyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress