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ARMENIANS ARE SMART AND TALENTED BUT CAN BE FATALISTIC AT TIMES - US AMBASSADOR
[ Part 2.2: "Attached Text" ]
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/08/05/john-heffern-interview/
16:07 05.08.13
In a politically neutral interview with Tert.am, US Ambassador John
Heffern shared his impressions of Armenia, addressing all the positive
and negative things he has found about the country and its people in
the course of his tenure since 2011.
The diplomat says he is utterly surprised by the accessibility of
Armenian officials (which he considers positive) but at the same time
expresses disappointment with what he calls a fatalistic approach
that many Armenians have to life. The ambassador recommends that the
Armenians be optimistic and focus more on opportunities than challenges
to have a good future. Mr Heffern, who has managed to travel to quite
a lot of places across Armenia, also speaks of the national cuisine
and the way he treats the traditional Armenian khash and khorovats
(barbecue). He remembers how he was "taught" to love dried fruit and
nuts and appreciate other Armenian foods.
The interview is presented below:
Your Excellency Mr Ambassador, what were your ideas about our country
when you were coming to Armenia? What was your first impression? What
especially surprised you? And what did you like or still keep
disliking?
I am not an expert on the region. I had never served anywhere in
the former Soviet Union, and I had never served in this region, so I
didn't quite know what to expect. But what very pleasantly surprised
[us] - when my wife and I arrived in Yerevan - about two years ago,
was the warmth and openness of Yerevan and the Armenian people.
So that was our first impression. The welcome that we received by the
Armenian people has been overwhelming and continues to this day. And
that's a favorite part about our time here in Armenia. No country is
perfect, no people are perfect, so there are a couple of things that
have disappointed us as well. I would say the biggest disappointments
that we have been working very hard on - very hard to address -
is the question of people's expectations. The Armenian people are
very smart and very talented, and I think have a great future. I
think it is too bad, though, that so many can be fatalistic and
sometimes discouraged. I know there are challenges. I think there's
huge potential here as well, and I hope that the Armenian people will
focus more on the opportunities than the challenges.
Have you managed to travel across Armenia, and are there any favorite
sites? What places do you visit more frequently?
[My wife] Libby and I have travelled throughout Armenia. We've been
in all ten marzes many times. We have a map in our office with pins
on every town that we have been in, and there are lots of pins in the
map in my office now. And every area that we've gone has something
unique and special about it, and we think that those communities
should build on this uniqueness, on their special attractions.
So let me touch on three.
We have been to Gyumri about four or five times. We find Gyumri [is]
quite an amazing place, and the people of Gyumri [are] quite amazing
people. Gyumri is the cultural capital of the CIS. The artists and
the cultural attractions of Gyumri, I think, are very special, and I
hope that Gyumri will resume the very successful biannual art festival
that it had in the past.
Second are the local festivals organized throughout the country.
This, I think, is really special. Every part of Armenia - as small
as the country is - every section of Armenia has some really special
or unique characteristic, and I think it should build on this special
characteristic and the special skills. I'll just mention one - Berd's
Honey and Berry Festival in Tavush marz. We went there last year and
will go again this year on August 18. And it is an amazing event in a
beautiful part of Armenia, and was really fun to see the local people
bring their local produce, specifically honey and berries and so many
people from all over Armenia come to appreciate that
The third is archaeology. The potential for archaeological tourism is
very spectacular here. First of all is the Areni cave. There are many
sites as well, but the Areni cave - once it is prepared for tourism -
will really be a strong attraction for international tourists here
and also university students to do research. Armenia should build on
this archaeological, very unique archaeological sites.
So, you have managed to know quite a lot about Armenia. What will you
say about Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh)? Have you seen any sights there,
and are there favorite places? If you haven't visited the country,
explain please why. Are there any political or other reasons?
The international community considers Karabakh a disputed territory.
And we, the United States, are part of the Minsk Group process; we are
one of the three countries to try to resolve that dispute. Until that
dispute is resolved, foreign diplomats don't go to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Well, your diplomatic answer is clear. So let us return to apolitical
questions. How do you treat the Armenian cuisine, and what meals
do you prefer? What can you say particularly about khash? Have you
tasted and liked it, and is the "philosophy" of the Armenian khash
perceivable to you?
Let me answer the khash question first. I've had it a couple of
times. It's not my favorite. And I don't know the philosophy of it.
The soup part of it is good, but the big hunk of meat in the middle
there is not my favorite.. I had a lot of khorovats since I have been
here, and I like all the chicken and the pork and the beef khorovats.
That's very special, and we've had it many times. And I'll have it
many more times before I leave.
My wife and I were a bit surprised when we went to the Akhtala
khorovats festival last year. We knew there would be lots of barbecued
meat there, but I never had barbecued fruit before. And there were
barbecued peaches and barbecued fruits of all sorts, which was really
quite fascinating. I was pleasantly surprised with how good barbecued
fruit tastes. Finally honey, dried fruit and nuts. I have got a wife,
four daughters and one son. And the girls in our family have always
loved dried fruit and nuts and honey. My son and I thought this was
bird food, and we never ate it. But since I've been Armenia now -
here in nearly two years - I love honey, I love dried fruit and I
eat a lot of nuts. The girls in my family were right.
We have one month left till the end of summer. Have you managed or
are you planning to have a rest and where?
We'll be in Armenia all summer. And we travel around, we visited
anumber of towns, and we'll continue to. We'll go to Berry and Honey
Festival as I said. We'll be in Armenia all summer, and I am happy
to be here. We had two of our adult children visit us with a couple
of friends, and we had a great trip down to Syunik marz and Vayots
Dzor. A great trip, I'll tell you a a little bit about that.
We stopped in Khor Virap on our way, then [we went to] the Areni cave
and we drank a little bit of Areni wine in Vayots Dzor. And went
to the Khosrov reserve and rode some horses. And in Syunik marz,
of course, we did Tatev, and Sisian, and went to Kapan. We were in
the northern part of Syunik marz, and we had a wonderful time in a
beautiful part of Armenia.
Mr Heffern, it would be interesting to know if you have got any
friends among the politicians in Armenia? If yes, do political views
and political affiliation matter to you?
We have many friends here in Armenia and many good partners, as well.
And we] whether they are pro-government or pro-opposition in not
a factor in those friendships. What is a part of the calculation -
it is a political orientation - what we try to do is try to develop
partnerships with those come friendships, with Armenians who share
our values and who are pushing Armenia in the right direction. And we
found partners like this in every political party, in every ministry
and private sector, universities, civil society and the press. In
each sector we found Armenians who are trying to make Armenia a better
place, and those are the people that we try to spend our time with.
When reading the WikiLeaks cables in Armenia, the impression was
that the politicians in the country maintained quite close contacts
with former ambassadors. Do such relationships continue with the same
activeness now that you are in office?
In the two years - nearly two years - that we've been here in Armenia,
I have been amazed by the access that I have - and this embassy has -
to Armenian officials. And we've spent a lot of time with ministers,
president, and former presidents and everybody - high and low -
throughout the political specter. And we have tried to make these
relationships more than just professional relationships; we have tried
- where possible - to make them personal as well. And again that's
what I love about the country. and what makes me excited about this
job is that I have those close relations and the Embassy has close
relations with members of the government and members of parliament
and throughout the society, high and low.
And that's what we love about being here .
[ Part 2.2: "Attached Text" ]
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/08/05/john-heffern-interview/
16:07 05.08.13
In a politically neutral interview with Tert.am, US Ambassador John
Heffern shared his impressions of Armenia, addressing all the positive
and negative things he has found about the country and its people in
the course of his tenure since 2011.
The diplomat says he is utterly surprised by the accessibility of
Armenian officials (which he considers positive) but at the same time
expresses disappointment with what he calls a fatalistic approach
that many Armenians have to life. The ambassador recommends that the
Armenians be optimistic and focus more on opportunities than challenges
to have a good future. Mr Heffern, who has managed to travel to quite
a lot of places across Armenia, also speaks of the national cuisine
and the way he treats the traditional Armenian khash and khorovats
(barbecue). He remembers how he was "taught" to love dried fruit and
nuts and appreciate other Armenian foods.
The interview is presented below:
Your Excellency Mr Ambassador, what were your ideas about our country
when you were coming to Armenia? What was your first impression? What
especially surprised you? And what did you like or still keep
disliking?
I am not an expert on the region. I had never served anywhere in
the former Soviet Union, and I had never served in this region, so I
didn't quite know what to expect. But what very pleasantly surprised
[us] - when my wife and I arrived in Yerevan - about two years ago,
was the warmth and openness of Yerevan and the Armenian people.
So that was our first impression. The welcome that we received by the
Armenian people has been overwhelming and continues to this day. And
that's a favorite part about our time here in Armenia. No country is
perfect, no people are perfect, so there are a couple of things that
have disappointed us as well. I would say the biggest disappointments
that we have been working very hard on - very hard to address -
is the question of people's expectations. The Armenian people are
very smart and very talented, and I think have a great future. I
think it is too bad, though, that so many can be fatalistic and
sometimes discouraged. I know there are challenges. I think there's
huge potential here as well, and I hope that the Armenian people will
focus more on the opportunities than the challenges.
Have you managed to travel across Armenia, and are there any favorite
sites? What places do you visit more frequently?
[My wife] Libby and I have travelled throughout Armenia. We've been
in all ten marzes many times. We have a map in our office with pins
on every town that we have been in, and there are lots of pins in the
map in my office now. And every area that we've gone has something
unique and special about it, and we think that those communities
should build on this uniqueness, on their special attractions.
So let me touch on three.
We have been to Gyumri about four or five times. We find Gyumri [is]
quite an amazing place, and the people of Gyumri [are] quite amazing
people. Gyumri is the cultural capital of the CIS. The artists and
the cultural attractions of Gyumri, I think, are very special, and I
hope that Gyumri will resume the very successful biannual art festival
that it had in the past.
Second are the local festivals organized throughout the country.
This, I think, is really special. Every part of Armenia - as small
as the country is - every section of Armenia has some really special
or unique characteristic, and I think it should build on this special
characteristic and the special skills. I'll just mention one - Berd's
Honey and Berry Festival in Tavush marz. We went there last year and
will go again this year on August 18. And it is an amazing event in a
beautiful part of Armenia, and was really fun to see the local people
bring their local produce, specifically honey and berries and so many
people from all over Armenia come to appreciate that
The third is archaeology. The potential for archaeological tourism is
very spectacular here. First of all is the Areni cave. There are many
sites as well, but the Areni cave - once it is prepared for tourism -
will really be a strong attraction for international tourists here
and also university students to do research. Armenia should build on
this archaeological, very unique archaeological sites.
So, you have managed to know quite a lot about Armenia. What will you
say about Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh)? Have you seen any sights there,
and are there favorite places? If you haven't visited the country,
explain please why. Are there any political or other reasons?
The international community considers Karabakh a disputed territory.
And we, the United States, are part of the Minsk Group process; we are
one of the three countries to try to resolve that dispute. Until that
dispute is resolved, foreign diplomats don't go to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Well, your diplomatic answer is clear. So let us return to apolitical
questions. How do you treat the Armenian cuisine, and what meals
do you prefer? What can you say particularly about khash? Have you
tasted and liked it, and is the "philosophy" of the Armenian khash
perceivable to you?
Let me answer the khash question first. I've had it a couple of
times. It's not my favorite. And I don't know the philosophy of it.
The soup part of it is good, but the big hunk of meat in the middle
there is not my favorite.. I had a lot of khorovats since I have been
here, and I like all the chicken and the pork and the beef khorovats.
That's very special, and we've had it many times. And I'll have it
many more times before I leave.
My wife and I were a bit surprised when we went to the Akhtala
khorovats festival last year. We knew there would be lots of barbecued
meat there, but I never had barbecued fruit before. And there were
barbecued peaches and barbecued fruits of all sorts, which was really
quite fascinating. I was pleasantly surprised with how good barbecued
fruit tastes. Finally honey, dried fruit and nuts. I have got a wife,
four daughters and one son. And the girls in our family have always
loved dried fruit and nuts and honey. My son and I thought this was
bird food, and we never ate it. But since I've been Armenia now -
here in nearly two years - I love honey, I love dried fruit and I
eat a lot of nuts. The girls in my family were right.
We have one month left till the end of summer. Have you managed or
are you planning to have a rest and where?
We'll be in Armenia all summer. And we travel around, we visited
anumber of towns, and we'll continue to. We'll go to Berry and Honey
Festival as I said. We'll be in Armenia all summer, and I am happy
to be here. We had two of our adult children visit us with a couple
of friends, and we had a great trip down to Syunik marz and Vayots
Dzor. A great trip, I'll tell you a a little bit about that.
We stopped in Khor Virap on our way, then [we went to] the Areni cave
and we drank a little bit of Areni wine in Vayots Dzor. And went
to the Khosrov reserve and rode some horses. And in Syunik marz,
of course, we did Tatev, and Sisian, and went to Kapan. We were in
the northern part of Syunik marz, and we had a wonderful time in a
beautiful part of Armenia.
Mr Heffern, it would be interesting to know if you have got any
friends among the politicians in Armenia? If yes, do political views
and political affiliation matter to you?
We have many friends here in Armenia and many good partners, as well.
And we] whether they are pro-government or pro-opposition in not
a factor in those friendships. What is a part of the calculation -
it is a political orientation - what we try to do is try to develop
partnerships with those come friendships, with Armenians who share
our values and who are pushing Armenia in the right direction. And we
found partners like this in every political party, in every ministry
and private sector, universities, civil society and the press. In
each sector we found Armenians who are trying to make Armenia a better
place, and those are the people that we try to spend our time with.
When reading the WikiLeaks cables in Armenia, the impression was
that the politicians in the country maintained quite close contacts
with former ambassadors. Do such relationships continue with the same
activeness now that you are in office?
In the two years - nearly two years - that we've been here in Armenia,
I have been amazed by the access that I have - and this embassy has -
to Armenian officials. And we've spent a lot of time with ministers,
president, and former presidents and everybody - high and low -
throughout the political specter. And we have tried to make these
relationships more than just professional relationships; we have tried
- where possible - to make them personal as well. And again that's
what I love about the country. and what makes me excited about this
job is that I have those close relations and the Embassy has close
relations with members of the government and members of parliament
and throughout the society, high and low.
And that's what we love about being here .