ARMENIAN LEADER SUMS UP RESPONSE TO DIASPORA’S CONCERNS OVER TURKISH TIES
Public Television of Armenia
Oct 8 2009
[Presenter] Summarizing his All-Armenian [diaspora] tour President
Serzh Sargsyan has commented on concerns [over normalization of ties
with Turkey] expressed most frequently during the past days at a
session of the National Security Council. "It is much more important
for us to listen to possible approaches and to receive as much advice
as possible on this issue; I believe we have succeeded in this",
the president of the country said.
[Sargsyan speaking at the session] During the tour a question was
frequently posed on whether these consultations are held too late,
taking into consideration that the protocols [on normalization of
the ties] had already been initialed. I believe that only those who
genuinely believe that normalization of relations between Armenia and
Turkey ends with putting initials under the protocols can think this
way. Of course it is not the case. For me discussions which took place
in the diaspora were extremely important in regard of planning our
strategy and tactics in each link of a complex and effort-intensive
chain – from initialing to signing, from signing to ratification, and
from ratification to implementation. During the meeting a concern was
frequently voiced that Armenia does not have sufficient resources –
human, financial-economic, political – in regard of organizing those
relations as an equal one with an equal one. I believe this is a
wrong approach. Yes, we face the need to mobilize our resources,
and also to use Diaspora’s potential in a full-fledged way. However,
I believe, this argument cannot be sufficient for isolating ourselves
inside the country.
[Presenter] The president of the republic spoke about the concerns
that establishment of relations and opening of borders may lead to
economic and demographic expansion [of Turkey over Armenia]. Sargsyan
said that this is the same as to suppose that the best remedy for a
headache is cutting the head off.
[Sargsyan] I have had an occasion to reconfirm our position that we do
not believe that the protocols may be read as documents which restrict
Armenia’s negotiating positions in the Nagornyy Karabakh issue. Both
concerns of our compatriots and statements periodically voiced by the
Turkish leadership regarding this issue are understandable. Of course,
all processes may impact each other in our small region. This is about
a different thing – and we will never go into unilateral concessions
in the Nagornyy Karabakh issue irrespective of what processes are
taking place, or of what we may be promised in return for that.