ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF ARMENIAN-POPULATED COMMUNITIES OF MIDDLE EAST, EGYPT, IRAN
ARMENPRESS
Oct 7, 2009
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS: All-Armenian tour of the Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan continues. Presidential press office told
Armenpress that wrapping up his meetings in Los Angeles the delegation
headed by the president left for Lebanon where in Beirut October
6 he met with more than 100 representatives of Armenian-populated
communities of Middle East, Egypt, Iran, national organizations and
establishments.
Before the meeting Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia, visited the
president. The parties discussed the process of normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations and issues connected with the pre-signed
protocols.
The participants of the Beirut meeting highlighted the initiative of
the Armenian president to visit Diaspora Armenians, listen to their
viewpoints toward normalization process of Armenian-Turkish relations.
Armenian president delivered a speech at the meeting and referred to
the main viewpoints and concerns connected with the normalization
process of Armenian-Turkish relations and pre-signed protocols and
answered to the questions.
Serzh Sargsyan considered the meetings during his tour useful and
noted that valuable proposals were voiced during them.
Referring to the concerns connected with the normalization process of
Armenian-Turkish relations Serzh Sargsyan said "I also have concerns. I
am too trying to combine my emotions with the emotions of those people
who are pessimistic and who are stemming from their bitter past and
considering any negotiations with Turkey inadmissible. All this is
objective. On the other hand are there concerns? Of course there
are. But can these concerns cause impediments for the establishment
of relations?"
Serzh Sargsyan also gave additional explanations connected with the
voiced concerns. "We have many times pointed out that recognition
of the Genocide is not only the issue of restoration of just but
an important circumstance from the point Armenian people. It is a
necessity," the president pointed out.
Referring to the concern connected with possible role of Turkey in
Karabakh conflict regulation issue, the president noted that Nagorno
Karabakh conflict will be settled only in case when we see that
we have what we have been fighting for since 1988. The president
once again pointed out that the solution of the Karabakh issue and
Armenian-Turkish relations are not interconnected.