Long ago, in 1992-94, I was the press secretary of the President of the Republic of Armenia and participated in a series of official meetings. I want to share my modest experience with readers and my young colleagues. When European, American, Russian or Iranian officials and weighty politicians meet with their colleagues from other countries, they comply with certain rules of etiquette, regardless of whether that country is big or small, influential or having no impact on anything. Non-interference in the internal affairs of another country is one of those rules. Thus, it is ruled out that Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca, a vice-president of the European Parliament, would have told Gagik Tsarukyan that he could be a brilliant candidate for the upcoming presidential election, as the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) states in the first version, December 5, of its press release. A figure of that level cannot and doesn’t have the right to say such a thing about any politician in Armenia, the President of the Republic of Armenia, in the first place. If, nonetheless, Mr. Roca had forgotten about all the rules of diplomatic etiquette (let’s imagine such a fantastic thing) and had stated this kind of thing, I am sure that both Gagik Tsarukyan and any other serious politician in Armenia would have responded to that: “Excuse me, honorable Alejo, but let citizens of Armenia decide how brilliant I am as a candidate. I don’t assess your chances to become, say, the Prime Minister of Spain, do I?” I think it is as improbable that Mr. Tsarukyan would complain to a foreign official that it was impossible to struggle against corruption in the country, if the main corrupted persons directed that struggle, as it is written in the same version of the statement. That idea is doubtless in itself, and I have written about that many times. But it is one thing when I, as a private individual, write about it in an Armenia newspaper, and it is another matter when the leader of the second biggest party in the country says that during international talks. If they are corrupted, raise the issue of their dismissal in the parliament, how can a European functionary help? Therefore, probably, those who wrote the press release mixed something up again. And I think the reason for that is not malevolence, but just lack of experience.
“According to reliable sources, during one of the meetings in Brussels, high-ranking European officials said during a conversation with Gagik Tsarukyan that the cooperation between the Armenian National Congress and the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), as well as between Gagik Tsarukyan and Levon Ter-Petrossian, made them think that this coalition was really unbeatable. Moreover, Europeans very clearly showed that in this case, they will
support the party enjoying the people’s trust as much as possible.” This appeared on Armenian websites. This is not a press-release, but, basically, PR managed with the same inexperienced hand. Actually, that disinformation is equally harmful for Tsarukyan, Ter-Petrossian and European officials.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
