The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia responds and thinks that the government of Hungary may redeem its sin recognizing the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
The statement made by the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on Handing Over the Criminal Who Killed Gurgen Margaryan, an Armenian Officer, During a NATO Course in Budapest in February 2004 and the Azerbaijani President’s Pardoning the Latter has been rather strongly criticized in the past few days. During a conversation with Aravot, Eduard Sharmazanov, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, responding to our question whether he didn’t think that the parliament’s statement was actually weak after President Serzh Sargsyan’s strong assessments, said, “I highly appreciate both the tone of the statement made by the president of the country and the implication of what he said and I think that the statement of the parliament was the continuation of the policy adopted by the president of the country. I think that the assessments that have been made are strange, because the parliament convened an extraordinary meeting not on the directions of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement or drawing up our strategy and tactics, but in order to make a statement and an appeal to international organizations, parliaments and parliamentary assemblies, in order that the latter criticized Azerbaijan’s inhumane and fascist attitude and the Hungarian government’s antihuman step.”
According to our interlocutor, in this sense, the messages are also quite clearly against the Hungarian government, which acted wrongfully and contradicted the system of values, a member of which Hungary is, there is a clear assessment of Azerbaijan’s activities and reasserts and shows once again that it is impossible for the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to be a part of Azerbaijan enjoying any status and that there is no alternative to the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. “If this is feeble… if people who make such statements expected swear words… I agree with my colleague Alexander Arzumanyan and all those who said that this was a very constructive statement without excessive emotionality, very polite, clear and strong. If people expect the parliament to curse, I think they have come to the wrong shop. The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia clearly made the three appeals, which were in the president’s speech and are in the interest of our state and our nation.”
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Eduard Sharmazanov said that two days before the statement had been made, during a consultation that had taken place in the Presidential Palace, they had talked about the fact that there would also be hearings in the short-run, if necessary, in order to clarify the further steps of the parliamentarians, “One must not mix one thing with the other. This is a statement and not an action plan or program. Therefore, there will be consultations, discussions, as well as hearings, if necessary.”
Aravot inquired of the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly whether he shared NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s opinion that Hungary and NATO were not responsible for the incident. “The government of Hungary, which cut that deal, is responsible,” our interlocutor said adding that he shared the opinion of a former Hungarian Prime Minister who had written a letter to our president. He also shares all those assessments, in which the Hungarian government was severely criticized. In Sharmazanov’s opinion, the statements made by the US President, the Russian Federation and the CSTO, in which they clearly expressed confusion and indignation at the actions of the Hungarian government, were like that. Aravot also inquired what steps concerning Aliyev and Azerbaijan Eduard Sharmazanov expected from the international community as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, “The international community clearly and one-sidedly condemns Azerbaijan’s actions for the first time in the negotiation process. Everyone unanimously says that the fascist policy of Azerbaijan is inappropriate, they don’t encourage that, moreover, they are very indignant at and concerned with such a policy of Azerbaijan, they send a clear message that no one will allow Azerbaijan to use aggressive rhetoric, to destabilize the situation in the region. This must naturally be followed by sanctions against Azerbaijan, because Azerbaijan continues to arm, expand its military budget.” As for the Hungarian government, Sharmazanov, doubting their explanations for the deal, expects that they will declare criminal Safarov internationally wanted or will recognize the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic apologizing to the Armenian people and will present Azerbaijan’s fascist face during various diplomatic events.
NELLY GRIGORYAN
