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HOVANNESIAN WARNS OF DANGERS IN EU RESOLUTION
Yerkir
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
YEREVAN
Armenian Revolutionary Federation parliamentary faction president
Vahan Hovannesian pointed to further dangers in a European Union
resolution calling for the immediate "the withdrawal of Armenian
forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan."
Hovanessian, who had called a press briefing on his recent trip to
Sofia, where he attended a European Partnership for Peace conference,
also said that international pressure on Armenia over the Karabakh
conflict resolution and relations with Turkey was rising stemming
from foreign interests in the region and detrimental to Armenia's
national interests.
By highlighting two other articles in the aforementioned resolution
on the South Caucasus, Hovannesian warned that efforts were underway
to alter the balance of the OSCE Minsk Group, which has been mediating
the Karabakh conflict resolution process.
"This should be prevented. France's mandate in the Minsk Group
should not be turned over to the European Union," said Hovannesian
who explained that resolution was seeking a broader mediating role
for Europe by proposing a possible rotating European representation
in the Minsk Group.
Another article of the resolution called for the creation of a Black
Sea Union, with Russia and Turkey as its key actors. He warned of clear
dangers to Armenia's national interests should such a union be formed
and detrimental consequences if Armenia joins this proposed entity
pointing to historical examples of consequences of a Russian-Turkish
partnership.
Hovannesian criticized the Armenian authorities for making and
enforcing controversial decisions, with reckless disregard for
public opinion as the impetus for the increased pressure on Armenia
by international community, which he said, believed that they can
impose any solutions of Armenians.
"Our authorities have failed to realize that they can have a strong
position in the international arena only if they have a strong
backbone, which is, a society trusting in the authorities. We don't
have such a society today and that is also evident abroad," explained
Hovannesian.
Hovannesian said that the Armenian authorities must be resolute in
their approaches to regional and foreign issues and proposed that
Armenia withdraw its signature from the Armenia-Turkey protocols to
ensure a more equitable approach to the issue.
"Our authorities must realize that they have to listen to the voice
of the opposition ... that not listening to the opposition leads to
deadlock," he said, adding that by "opposition" he means the ARF.
He added that the ARF will continue to be vigilant and point out
and correct the mistakes of the authorities, but warned that if
blunders continue there will have to be a change in the leadership
of the country.
From: A. Papazian
Yerkir
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
YEREVAN
Armenian Revolutionary Federation parliamentary faction president
Vahan Hovannesian pointed to further dangers in a European Union
resolution calling for the immediate "the withdrawal of Armenian
forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan."
Hovanessian, who had called a press briefing on his recent trip to
Sofia, where he attended a European Partnership for Peace conference,
also said that international pressure on Armenia over the Karabakh
conflict resolution and relations with Turkey was rising stemming
from foreign interests in the region and detrimental to Armenia's
national interests.
By highlighting two other articles in the aforementioned resolution
on the South Caucasus, Hovannesian warned that efforts were underway
to alter the balance of the OSCE Minsk Group, which has been mediating
the Karabakh conflict resolution process.
"This should be prevented. France's mandate in the Minsk Group
should not be turned over to the European Union," said Hovannesian
who explained that resolution was seeking a broader mediating role
for Europe by proposing a possible rotating European representation
in the Minsk Group.
Another article of the resolution called for the creation of a Black
Sea Union, with Russia and Turkey as its key actors. He warned of clear
dangers to Armenia's national interests should such a union be formed
and detrimental consequences if Armenia joins this proposed entity
pointing to historical examples of consequences of a Russian-Turkish
partnership.
Hovannesian criticized the Armenian authorities for making and
enforcing controversial decisions, with reckless disregard for
public opinion as the impetus for the increased pressure on Armenia
by international community, which he said, believed that they can
impose any solutions of Armenians.
"Our authorities have failed to realize that they can have a strong
position in the international arena only if they have a strong
backbone, which is, a society trusting in the authorities. We don't
have such a society today and that is also evident abroad," explained
Hovannesian.
Hovannesian said that the Armenian authorities must be resolute in
their approaches to regional and foreign issues and proposed that
Armenia withdraw its signature from the Armenia-Turkey protocols to
ensure a more equitable approach to the issue.
"Our authorities must realize that they have to listen to the voice
of the opposition ... that not listening to the opposition leads to
deadlock," he said, adding that by "opposition" he means the ARF.
He added that the ARF will continue to be vigilant and point out
and correct the mistakes of the authorities, but warned that if
blunders continue there will have to be a change in the leadership
of the country.
From: A. Papazian