Centennial of Armenian Genocide out of context of latest geopolitical developments - Garegin Chugaszyan
In an interview with Tert.am, Preparliament Coordinator Garegin Chugaszyan spoke of the Armenians’ expectations after the centennial of the Armenian Genocide has been marked.
According to him, inertia is dominating. That is, the Armenians are going to mark the centennial of the Armenian Genocide without considering epoch-making changes.
Mr Chugaszyan, the Preparliament’s resolution entitled “The 100th anniversary without the ruling regime” is known. However, will any measures be implemented, what are your expectations about the 100th anniversary about the Armenian Cause in the present moral and psychological situation?
Of course, people can hold expectations, but it is the ruling circles that have the levers at hand. And what we can hear about the preparations for the centennial does not in any way meet our expectations. More was done on the threshold of the 90th anniversary than now.
As far as I know, much is not made public to prevent Turks preparing countermeasures and so on. What has disappointed you?
I cannot say anything about secret measures. In the 21st century, in the world of Wikileaks and Snowden, keeping diplomatic secrets is a difficult task – if possible at all. That is, they are keeping it secret from their own people. Therefore, there has been a need for publicity. The question is that our domestic moral and psychological situation is much more important than issues related to international recognition. What is our perception of our destiny? Are our people well aware of what they are going? The centennial is a symbol. But it is also an epoch-making landmark. That is, it is important for us to understand what epoch we are entering. The world and we have now reached a phase of cool calculation of forces.
The Ukraine developments are the symbol of a new global situation, when international guarantees do not mean anything. In Ukraine’s case, the superpowers gave guarantees of inviolability of borders. So what? It is a matter of mere calculation of whether that state can defend its borders by itself. The same can be said of other states. The international situation is radically different, and it is on the threshold of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, and the epoch has changed. The large-scale changes both in the North and in the South have caused destabilization, which, to an extent, is changing our conceptions of expectations about the centennial, in the context of the Armenian Cause. Have you ever heard anyone speak of it at the state level? There is an impression that nothing has changed and we continue marking the centennial. However, when the context is different, the meaning of the event is different. Now that 100 years have passed since the Armenian Genocide, we are witnesses to the massive violence against and relocation of the 14-million-strong Middle East Christian population, including Armenians. Why does not Armenia raise the issue at the UN, it being the only eastern Christian nation which is an international entity historically representing all the eastern Christians in Jerusalem? Why does not it present what happened to us 100 year ago in this topical context?
Mr Chugaszyan, at what level should the answers to your questions be looked for - diplomatic, academic, diasporic?
At all the levels. Unfortunately, Armenia is represented at such a low level now, and decision-makers are anti-national figures that such issues are not being raised. That is, the problem of sovereignty is becoming number one problem for us. For us to properly deal with the issue of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we have to resolve the sovereignty problem first. If we are unaware of what is going on round us and incapable of implementing foreign policy, there is no sense in speaking of expectations about the 100th anniversary.
That is, you expect events, without discussions or solutions.
I have no expectations because the ruling circles’ representatives have said the 100th anniversary is not anything significant, and no problem will be resolved. So what expectations can we have?
But the issue may be raised later, on the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
It is not a problem of consistency. It is a problem of change in our attitude to the Armenian Cause. The present-day world is not the world in which we have marked the Armenian Genocide for the past 50 years. And the 100th anniversary is the best occasion to restore this international context and specify our strategy. But expectations are unnecessary without sovereignty.
May be the relevant work is being done through diplomatic channels.
I am not speaking of secret diplomatic channels. And even in this sense, we should realize that in the 21st century, in the world of Wikileaks and Snowden, keeping diplomatic secrets is a difficult task – if possible at all.
That is, you are speaking of the need for a new concept.
I am speaking of a new situation in the world, which requires a new approach, and the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide should be the best occasion. My words do not mean that the 100th anniversary would resolve the problem of the Armenian Genocide. But we need a strategy in a new context.
May be, President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement on September 3, 2013, stemmed from this context? May be, it was the first step, the strategy you have mentioned?
Are you sure that the Eurasian Economic Union will not one day turn into a union of Turkic states? We have been told it is a solution to our security problem. But the statement on Armenia’s accession to that union was followed by increased tensions on our border.
What’s your opinion of our moral and psychological atmosphere in the context of the 100th anniversary?
We should now change our moral and psychological atmosphere rather than be discontented with it. But it will change only if the people consider and realize the ways of improving their situation. The problem is creating a platform for all the patriotic forces concerned, which will act as bearer of sovereignty. The only issue in Armenia is that of restoration of sovereignty. Once people rally round it, the situation will radically change. Our attitude to our situation depends on ourselves.
Videos
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Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
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'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
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There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
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