The draft of the message addressed to the international community by Armenia regarding the centennial of the Armenia genocide, which was written and published yesterday by the first President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan, as long as I see, does not become a subject of discussion. The theme is probably too abstract. Well, if he did write a couple of sweet words about President Sargsyan, Ter-Petrosyan’s party adherents would write admiring comments, the Republicans would say that the first president’s time has expired, the ANC members would respond to it that the Republicans estimates as such unambiguously indicate that “the regime is in panic” and it would turn to be a “normal debate.”
While here, it is quite dry, one can say, an academic text, which underlies not party, but state and national concerns. Certainly, there is no abyss in this draft and official stance. Simply, important emphasize are made here, which as our people’s historical and contemporary course shows, made our position more beneficial. Most importantly here is that the commitment assumed by the state of Armenia for the recognition of genocide internationally is viewed “in the context of the crime committed against purely human rights and humanity, therefore the obligations of the states driven by the international conventions, does not make the issue of Genocide recognition as a cornerstone of its foreign policy.”
Why is it, in my opinion, important? This kind of approach enables Armenia, in its political relations both with Turkey and all the rest of countries, to be guided by the state interests of the momentum exclusively and to avoid various kinds of pitfalls, the simplest of which is “the commission of historians to study the genocide”, which is also referred to in the text. The quoted point gives rise to the rest, which refer to the Zurich protocols and the Madrid principles, about which generally a positive attitude is expressed, which I think is right.
It is clear that Ter-Petrosyan’s recommendations are unacceptable for the government. But he did right publishing this text because there is also a sober-minded minority next to the majority fascinated by “national liberation” romanticism and populism. The text published yesterday is aimed at such people who live in and outside Armenia. I wish the first president be similarly pragmatic and cool-hearted when assessing the domestic political life. In that case, he first of all would admit that his project of “bourgeois-democratic revolution” associated with PAP was a failure, and the opposition has lost 3.5 years wasted. But admitting mistakes is a very difficult task for all of us. Especially, for the politicians.
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ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
