French chansonnier, Ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, Charles Aznavour, in the interview with Hollywood Reporter, talking about his diplomatic career, said that he would soon meet with the Turkish ambassador, but he had not told about it beforehand, “because they can tell me that I should not do it, whereas I want to be free in my actions.” In the interview, Charles Aznavour had mentioned that he is working independently, without asking the president, but later tells about it. In this regard, Aravot.am talked to former Ambassador of Armenia to Canada, also Director of “Modus Vivendi” analytical Center, Ara Papyan. We inquired whether such practice is right for an ambassador, firs to do then to report, to which Mr. Papyan responded that all ambassadors are extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassadors, which means that they were originally authorized with certain extraordinary powers to implement policy. “If the policy implemented by the Ambassador is within the scope which is the state’s policy, there should be no question here, everything is legal. The ambassador is free in his moves, he is free in his circle, but outside of it, he is not free. Otherwise, every ambassador would be able to pursue his policy and there would be a mess.”
Mr. Papyan does not see any problem in meeting with the Turkish ambassador. “But if as an ambassador he is going to conduct negotiations on any matter, then it is necessary to clearly understand which the scope that should be acted. The view expressed by the ambassador is the view of the state. In this event, if Aznavour want to be independent, free and to act on his own initiative, then he cannot act as an ambassador.” In the interview, Charles Aznavour also said that he has nothing against nowadays Turks as the genocide was committed by their ancestors. Commenting on such words of the ambassador, Mr. Papyan mentioned that such assessment is an assessment of a singer, but not the ambassador’s. “Even today’s Germany is responsible for the Holocaust, and it shows in its actions. If we were followed by the same logic, the present-day Germany should not have been responsible for the Holocaust. There is a continuity of states, and, surely, today’s Turkey is the continuation of the Ottoman Empire.”
Elya HOVHANNISYAN
