Levon Mkrtchian answers question on Yerkir’s website
Yerkir/arm
January 28, 2005
The Yerkir weekly has initiated a series of interviews with
politicians, state and public figures. You can ask your questions by
visiting our website at
Between January 17 and 24, our readers asked questions to Levon
Mkrtchian, member of the ARF Supreme Body of Armenia and leader of the
National Assembly’s ARF faction. Below is an excerpt from that
interview. The full version is available on the site beginning January
31. By January 34, you can also ask questions to Kiro Manoyan,
Director of ARF Bureau’s Central Hai Dat Office.
Patriot: Dou you believe in Armenia’s comprehensive development
without settling its relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan? Isn’t it in
Armenia’s national interest to establish good-neighborly relations
with those countries instead of putting forward territorial or
financial claims?
Levon Mkrtchian: Two values contradict in your question. No doubt, any
country is more secure if it has good relations with its
neighbors. But such relations should be based on some principles. It
is not correct to oppose the territorial or other claims to
good-neighborly relations. Similarly, a person can be asked why he is
conducting a moral life in his family. Any country has its national
values, its history, and that history is the basis for the existence
of a nation.
I always like to cite the well-known Roman saying: `All of them
whoignore their history and their past are sentenced to look at their
future with fear and suspicion.’ What price are we to pay for good
relations? If we haveto pay by our national dignity and loss of our
homeland, if we have to pay a price that would make us a nation that
lives to satisfy its everyday needs only, like animals do, then how
much is it worth to live on this soil? We all could move to better
courtiers, say Europe, and live more successful lives.
Then why should we keep the Armenian statehood if we have no goals and
principles? When our neighbors demand we should lose all that for
establishing good relations with them, we answer that we don’t want to
live as slaves.
We want equal relations based on justice. A historic injustice has
been done to the Armenian people, and now the whole world recognizes
that fact. The process of international recognition of the Armenian
Genocide indicates that the present civilization recognizes the right
of the Armenian people and given this fact, your question is
surprising. And if the person asking this question is an Armenian,
then it is more surprising that he/she offers such a price for having
good relations.
Let the Turks and Azeris realize that they should have good relations
with our nation, whom they have caused a deep pain. Especially now
that the Republic of Armenia has officially declared it is for
establishing relations with Turkey without preconditions. Turkey, in
response, suggests Armenia should have good relations with a third
country in order to be able establish good relations with Turkey. It
also puts forward preconditions that really violate our national
rights.
Now this approach is surprising; if this is how we should build our
state then I see no reason for people to stay in this or any other
country. If itis just a matter of filling one’s stomach and living a
good life, theneverybody should immigrate to a country where filling
one’s stomach is easier. Then what’ s the reason of staying here and
establishing statehood? Your question is incomprehensible and
unacceptable to me.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress