However, Ara Papian considers this unlikely given the interests of the US
Some political circles nurse hope with the 45th US president Donald Trump that he can have a positive impact on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. In particular, president of the Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional Cooperation, Stepan Grigoryan, expressed an opinion that given Trump’s unexpected circumstance he can have a positive impact on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
“Aravot” inquired with Ara Papian, the founder and head of the Modus Vivendi Center, whether he considers Trump’s positive impact on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the compensation realistic. Mr. Papian reminded in this respect that the US President Ronald Reagan already pronounced the word “genocide” in 1981, hence, if Trump uses this term it will not be news. To the question of whether Trump can do something like this, Ara Papian replied, “It is not ruled out but I consider it less likely. We must understand that Trump as a candidate and Trump as a president are two different people, and it’s no coincidence that two months is given as a transition period. In the meantime, people will work with Trump and will show quite closed and confidential information, will explain different issues, and based on this information, Trump’s mindset will be changed in many ways.” Ara Papian also reminded that one of the supporters of Donald Trump who was against the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian genocide publicly stated in one of his speeches that there is no doubt that there was a genocide but at the same time he had admitted that they have interests and cannot jeopardize the health and lives of current families and people with what has happened in the past.
Drawing attention to the fact that this is the thinking of the people of Trump’s team, Ara Papian considers highly likely that the same thinking will be instilled to Trump. On the other hand, according to Mr. Papian, pronouncing the words “Genocide” is not the most important thing, “What is it going to give to us? If we want compensation, it goes in a legal way rather than in the form of statements.”
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Another important issue that Armenians are concerned about connected with the new US president is what position he will adopt on the Karabakh conflict settlement. However, the Armenian political scientists who had talked with Trump claim that he is totally unaware of the conflict. For example, the US political scientist and scientific researcher at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Suren Sargsyan, tells that he personally has asked Trump about the Karabakh conflict settlement but he had replied that he is totally unaware of it.
To our observation that maybe it is good that the US president is not aware of the matter which will enable to present the conflict from the advantageous position of the Armenian side, Mr. Papian expressed fear that this conflict may be presented to Trump in a way as it is done now and not from the perspective of our interests, “Eventually, the transition from being unaware to aware can happen quickly, a half an hour briefing is enough. The problem is who will do this briefing and how will the conflict be presented. It will not be good for us if it is presented as it is now. But most likely, it will be presented in that way as it is our official posture, according to which we recognize these lands as Azerbaijani and we want the Armenian people to express self-determination on some of it. In that case, we will still remain demanding and Azerbaijan as a respondent, whereas it is quite the opposite. Azerbaijan is an aggressor in this conflict for it has occupied the territories of Armenia, a territory which the League of Nations has recognized as part of Armenia. We, simply with political shortsightedness since the 1990s, for some reason, have made the administrative borders of the USSR as a base of the conflict and negotiate around it.”
Mr. Papian has a serious fear that the situation will be presented to Donald Trump like that and he will draw conclusions from this position. In this context, Mr. Papian recalled Trump’s posture about Crimea expressed in one sentence, “Certainly, this is not also a base but Trump announced that if the people of Crimea want to live with Russia, let them live, what’s the problem. But I emphasize, it is the position of Trump as a candidate.”
Ara Papian is sure that for presenting the Karabakh conflict from our desired perspective and receiving results, various negotiating basis should be put into circulation by Armenia which currently is not being done, “When they say that the destiny of the conflict should be decided by the principle of self-determination, we consider it a great achievement and a pride, look, the world accepted the principle of self-determination. But this means that we acknowledge that this territory is legally a territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, simply a segment of it must be legally separated and joined to Armenia. Whereas, in that case, we can talk about 4 of the 5 regions of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, and what are we going to do with the rest.”
In conclusion, Mr. Papian also raised a question whether Artsakh can survive by such independence and joining Armenia. Given to this fact, this method is not an option for the solution now.
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
“Aravot”
