DIFFERENT NAILS BEING HAMMERED
N. Mirzoyan
Hayots Ashkharh Daily – Armenia
20 June 07
Strength of Blow Becoming Lesser as a Result
Interview with politician Levon-Melik Shahnazaryan
"The media sector is extremely sensitive to the Karabakh settlement
process. To what extent do you think the issue is accurately reflected
in the press?"
"I must confess that the press cannot give the true picture of the
negotiation process since the talks are confidential and the moderated
information provided to the media by the conflicting parties or the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are often invented rumors which cannot in
any way reflect the negotiation process as such. This is the reason
the media’s response often presents predictions and half-successful
or unsuccessful analyses which cannot reflect the true situation. This
concerns both parties simultaneously."
"Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan has recently expressed hesitation
as to how the Azeri President, who makes bellicose statements,
will explain the idea of such statements to its people in case an
agreement on mutual concessions in achieved. While Mr. Semniby, the
EU Special Representative, has accounted for it by the media’s mode
of action. How will you estimate such practice?"
"The practice pursued by the Azeri press derives in major part from the
mentality of the Azeri state bodies. The Azeri President becomes the
hostage of his own statements and promises. The thing is that, apart
from the press and analytical Web sites, there are also Azerbaijani
official sources of information, i.e. Advisor to the President, MFA
Web sites as well as ‘Azer.Tag’ agency which does not add a single
comma without the consent of the latter."
"The false information published by the Azeri advocacy concerns all
the spheres of the country’s life. First, the figures concerning the
Azerbaijani oil and gas reserves that have already become a trap for
a number of oil and gas companies become exaggerated. These companies
have to withdraw even after signing a contract and making investments
since the existing reserves do not correspond to the figures published
in advance.
That is, the importance of Azerbaijan as a power-generating country
is strictly exaggerated.
The names of the Armenians who once participated both in the
town-building of Baku and in the accomplishment of the Azerbaijani
state were not even found in the encyclopedia published in Baku at
the state’s order. Actually, there is an order on the state level
attempting to re-invent the history of the Azeri nation.
Such false advocacy practiced by the Azeri nation impacts on the
negotiation process as well. Of course impossible for such false
information not to influence the events developing around Artsakh,
especially considering that serious financial resources are being
spent."
"How do you think it is possible to prevent such advocacy?"
"Of course, we have intellectual resources. Our people always possess
that resource which is at least more significant than that of our
neighbors.
However, we are, in my opinion, in inferior position as much as the
financial aspect is concerned. Our analysts are guided by their
own enthusiasm and patriotic motives which has both its positive
and negative aspects. Effectiveness is always great in case of
working whole-heartedly; however, I feel sorry there is no structure
coordinating the activities. We often hammer the nails with good
intent, and as a result, only the strength of the blow becomes lesser.
I believe, as much as the Artsakh conflict, is concerned it is better
to work with joint efforts. Perhaps we need a Ministry of Propaganda
and Information. The problem is that one always appears in defensive
positions; it is not beneficial, and is more difficult purely from
the psychological point of view. Making a transition to the attacking
position is a must. In this respect, there is an active participation
by the Diaspora which resists the Azeri aggressive policy more and
more by every year.