ARMENIAN PRESIDENT: IT IS WE, AS THE STATE AND STATESMEN, THAT BEAR FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR SIGNING OF DOCUMENTS AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO SHIFT THE RESPONSIBILITY BURDEN ON SOMEBODY ELSE

ArmInfo
2009-10-08 17:00:00

Yerevan, October 8. ArmInfo. On the initiative of Armenian President,
Chairman of Armenian National Security Council Serzh Sargsyan,
the Security Council held an enlarged session, Thursday. Besides the
National Security Council representatives, Catholicos of All Armenians
Karekin II, Leader of Propserous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan,
Chairman of the Public Council Vazgen Manoukyan and Diaspora Minister
Hranush Hakobyan took part in the session.

The session covered the current stage of normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations, as well as the state’s forthcoming work on
the specified issue. In addition, the results of the public hearings
on normalization of the relations with Turkey, and the Pan-Armenian
Tour of Serzh Sargsyan were summed up.

The president said that people, who sincerely believe that the
process of normalization of Armenian- Turkish relations is restricted
to initialing of the Protocols, think that the discussions with
Diaspora representatives are late. "Certainly, it is not so. The
discussions in Diaspora were of great significance for me in
respect of planning the tactics and strategy of the difficult chain
from initialing to signing, from signing to ratification, and from
ratification to implementation of the Armenian-Turkish documents",-
he stressed. Serzh Sargsyan doesn’t share the opinion that Armenia
has no relevant human, financial, economic or political resources
to organize these relations. "I think this is a wrong approach",-
he said and added that we need to mobilize our resources.

As regards possible economic and demographic expansion, the president
stressed: "This is the same as to say that the best way to get rid
of the headache is to get rid of the head". He pointed out that
during the meetings with Diaspora representatives he stressed once
again Armenia’s approach: the Protocols can’t be considered documents
harming Armenia’s positions in the Karabakh peace process. "We are
not ready and we’ll never make unilateral concessions on Karabakh
conflict no matter what we are offered instead",- he said.

Touching on the issue of the Armenian Genocide, Serzh Sargsyan said:
"In this issue of recognition and condemnation of the Armenian
Genocide we have our own commitments that should be carried out up
to the end". "It’s a pity that on the emotional basis some of our
brothers and sisters have lost the ideological basis of their steps",-
he added. However, Sargsyan pointed out that in Diaspora he also
heard words of support and encouragement. "It is we, as the state
and statesmen, that bear the full responsibility for signing of the
documents, and we are not going to shift the burden of responsibility
on somebody else",- he stressed.