WHAT IS BENEFICIAL FOR ARMENIA IS NOT ALWAYS PROFITABLE FOR DIASPORA: EXPERT
Trend
Oct 7 2009
Azerbaijan
The world Armenian lobby hampers normalization of Turkish-Armenian
relations with all its might, the director of the Central Asia-Caucasus
Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Svante Cornell, believes.
"There is great difference between Armenia and the world Armenian
lobby. What is advantageous to the country is not always advantageous
to the Diaspora" Cornell told Trend News over phone on Oct.7.
Earlier Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Trend News
in an exclusive interview that Turkey and Armenia will sign a deal
to establish diplomatic ties on Oct. 10.
During his recent international visit, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan met with representatives of Armenian diasporas in Europe,
Argentina and the U.S, and many of them expressed their opposition
to the signing of a Turkish-Armenian agreement.
The Armenian diaspora holds protests worldwide. Sargsyan faced these
actions in Paris, New York and Los Angeles. The demonstrators met
the Armenian president with slogans such as "Traitor!", "No protocols".
Several opposition parties in Armenia are also against Sargsyan’s
policy. Such meetingsare also held against signing of the protocols.
On Oct.6, rally was held in Yerevan to protest signing of protocols
on development of relations with Turkey, Armenia Today said. The
event was organized by the movement Miasum "(" Unity "). Protesters
marched to the memorial dedicated to victims of so-called "genocide"
of Armenians. There they burned copy of protocols in eternal fire,
as well as a photo of President Serzh Sargsyan.
"At present, the lobby intends not only to help Armenia, but harm
Turkey" Cornell said. "This agreement will define the specific borders
between Turkey and Armenia and the diaspora will not recognize the
existing borders."
According to Cornell, the diaspora believes that the Armenian
government does not speak on behalf of its people. "The Diaspora does
its best to influence the president and the Diaspora’s actions are
headache for the Armenian government," Cornell added.
The Armenian diaspora acts rather bravely for many years because the
lobby supports not only financial stability of the country, but also
the internal political processes, the expert said.
But if there is failure in the process of normalization of
Ankara-Yerevan relations, it will be the result of not only the
Armenian diaspora’s activities, but also the Turkish opposition,
the expert said.
According to Cornell, besides this factor, Turkish-Azerbaijani
relations will be able to negatively affect the process.