“WE WON’T CREATE PROBLEM FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY AND COALITION COLLEAGUES”
Margaret Yesayan
Aravot.am
03 May 06
– the NA chairman Arthur Baghdasarian declared in the interview
given to our newspaper, not excluding the “Orinats Erkir” prospect
of leaving the coalition.
– Mr. Baghdasarian, there is an impression that you are ready to
leave the coalition, is it so, and when will you declare about it?
– “Orinats Erkir” party became a part of coalition in 2003 and signed
a memorandum in 2006 as not end in itself about which I have had an
occasion and opportunity to say in “Aravot”, too. Neither the National
Assembly of third holding nor the coalition is eternal. I’m sure nobody
will argue this. It’s obvious that there are serious discrepancies for
leaving the coalition. Yes, I declared, we won’t create difficulties
for the President of the country or for our coalition colleagues and
if there will be incompatibility of our ideas and ways of action,
“Ordinates Erik” will leave the coalition.
– In your opinion, how this incompatibility can be displayed, why
did the interview to the German newspaper cause so many dissents?
– You know, when “OE” was accused of populism in 2003, it was
understandable a little, it was electoral year, and pre-election
passions weren’t calmed down yet. When the same was being done in
2004, it was surprising, and it became meaningless in 2005 because
there was enough time to understand that neither my official visits
to foreign countries, nor, working visits to the regions of Armenia,
nor formation of councils at the NA chairman, and nor active speeches
of the “OE” members were populism, there were usual, parliamentary
works as we understand the legislative and political activities of
the elected representative of the people. And on the other hand I
haven’t said to any newspaper anything new which deny my public
speeches. I don’t exclude they could also be dissents as there
was a free interview lasting an hour. I can say the meaning of my
interview in a sentence; “To Europe, keeping relative relations with
Russia.” This was the meaning. Finally, when it is said that the
future of Armenia isn’t “Russia-Byelorussia” ally, is obvious for
everyone. And why has the commission of Eurointegration been formed
in the NA since 2003, for becoming the “Russia-Byelorussia” member
or deepening the collaboration with the European institutions and
forming grounds for the EU membership. First of all Russia itself
doesn’t consider NATO as its enemy, which I have said in Saint
Petersburg, that it isn’t allowed to contrast Russia with the EU,
that Armenia won’t wake up as the NATO member. Eventually NATO has
both military and political components and there are countries,
which become members of political component. That means there are
a lot of versions of deepening collaboration. By the way the same
Russia wants to deepen the relations with NATO, forming NATO-Russia
council by declaration of Roma. The same Vladimir Putin answering to
the question of German journalist has said that the official Moscow
can discuss the problem of joining with NATO, though Russia is able
to defend itself. Finally such things are solve!
d neither by interviews nor in a month or in a year and I haven’t
spoken about NATO membership. I have spoken about the project of
personal partnership between Armenia and NATO and the prospect of
deepening Euro Atlantic collaboration. As regards the Armenian-Russian
relations I highly appreciate it and I have said about it in the
same interview. I have also said about it in Washington, Brussels and
Moscow. And I, as a politician, see my country in the Western value
system; it doesn’t mean at all that I’m against Armenian-Russian
relative relations.
– According to our information, the State Duma deputy Constantine
Zatulin in the sitting of Armenian-Russian inter-Parliamentary
commission has accused you of making speech in the Kiev Maydan. Is
it so?
– I’m not going to comment Zatulin’s words, I’ll say the following,
I’m the chairman of the parliament of an independent country and I
have made a speech by Victor Yushchenko’s invitation and I’ve greeted
the Ukrainian people on the occasion of their state holiday. I’m for
relative and not vassal relations with Russia as that same Zatulin
considers.
– Don’t you think that everything started from your speech about
privatization, serious corruption accusations were made?
– My speech was addressed to the phenomenon and not to the
persons. The fact that schools, nursery schools, colleges can’t be
privatized in Armenia is a ///. We have declared from the first
day coming to power that we’ll work and fight for democratic and
social-economic reforms. And we have been honest in our way; we have
acted transparently and publicly. We have kept our principality inside
coalition, too respecting the principles of our colleagues. Armenia
must be the country of the future. Some people compare difficulties
with sunset while they are temporary prohibitions of a great
travel. Some part of people fight believing in the future. While others
afraid of the future having an apprehension that the failures of the
past can be repeated. But we shouldn’t afraid of our future; we should
fight for our future and those progressive values, which we have, for
that belief which we cherish, for those ideas to which we are devoted.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress