PRESS RELEASE                                                      
May 17, 2008

An Interview with Ambassador Tatoul Markarian

The Armenian Weekly
May 17, 2008

In the following interview, conducted exclusively for the Hairenik and Armenian Weeklies, Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. Tatoul Markarian speaks about the current situation in Armenia, genocide recognition, and Turkish-Armenian relations.

Armenian Weekly—All of us in the diaspora were troubled by the complex post-election political situation in Armenia. What steps have been taken to restore stability in Armenia? What are the main lessons of the February 2008 elections?

Tatoul Markarian—First, we should make a clear a distinction between the election and the post-electoral developments. The February 2008 presidential election was recognized by the 350-strong International Observers’ Mission as being mostly in line with OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards for democratic elections, as the international observers’ mission noted in its initial and subsequent reports. The election is over, and the Constitutional Court upheld the election results.

Unfortunately, the election was overshadowed by the post-electoral developments that presented a serious challenge to democratic process and state institutions. The basic dictum that nothing can justify threatening the fundamentals of our statehood, the stability of our homeland, and the security of Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabagh] by creating artificial divisions was ignored.

President Serge Sarkisian’s dialogue with Armenia’s political forces and civil society has begun, and such efforts will continue in the coming months and years. Following his election, a new political coalition was formed in the National Assembly that represents over 80 percent of the votes of the Armenian electorate. The Armenian leadership believes that only through constructive dialogue, inclusiveness, and tolerance of a variety of constructive ideas and solutions will we be able to draw the right lessons for all of us, and learn to make better choices and policies both domestically and internationally.

The Armenian government realizes that the post-electoral developments in Armenia have placed Armenia and its political process at the center of attention of the international community. Post-electoral events in Armenia, while very regrettable, do not represent a departure from Armenia’s fundamental commitment to democratic development. And we will do everything to restore domestic stability and our nation’s international reputation.

A.W.—The new Armenian government received a vote of confidence in the parliament and started its activities. What are the main priorities and goals set by this government?

T.M.—The new Armenian government, under Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian, will of course continue the progress of previous governments that generated a double-digit economic growth and reduced the poverty rate from 56.1 percent to 26.5 percent currently. President Sarkisian’s election platform and the new government’s program that was approved by the National Assembly on April 30, 2008, set ambitious but realistic goals and priorities. These goals recognize the presence of economic and social challenges, and set out realistic ways to address them.

Defending Armenia’s national security and promoting sustainable economic growth will remain a top priority for the government, including macroeconomic stability and high rates of growth, a reduction in poverty, and further liberalization of the economy. Enhancing competition, and the business and investment climate will work toward meeting such goals. Other priorities include improved governance and public policies and fighting corruption; investing in Armenia’s educational and scientific institutions; focusing on the development of Armenia’s regions to ensure that the economic growth in Yerevan continues to spill over to the rest of Armenia; and addressing social welfare and social security issues.

The government’s targets for 2008-12 include an 8-10 percent annual economic growth evenly spread out between urban and rural areas; reducing the poverty rate to 11 percent and extreme poverty to 1.6 percent; and raising educational spending to 3.5 percent of the GDP and health care investments to 2.2 percent of the GDP. These goals can and will be met by channeling the enterprising and creative potential of the Armenian people, and we all—including the Armenian diaspora—have a role to play in Armenia’s economic growth.

A.W.—How does the new president and government see the future of homeland-diaspora relations?

T.M.—Homeland-diaspora relations were an important focus in President Sarkisian’s election platform and they are also addressed in the program of the new government. Strengthening these ties will thus remain a priority for the Armenian government, especially since these ties have been dynamic across many areas. Underlying this dynamism is our mutual belief that in order to effectively pursue our national goals in the international arena, we should work together to further strengthen Armenian statehood and continue Armenia’s successful democratic transition. And this requires us to be even stronger and unified as ever, especially in the face of recent developments in Armenia.

I would like to use this occasion to extend my deep appreciation to all the leading Armenian-American organizations throughout the diaspora for their wisdom, their great sense of national unity and solidarity, and their unreserved support to the leadership and the people of Armenia.

Since the early years of its existence, the young Armenian state embraced and promoted national issues, including the defense of Artsakh and genocide recognition, and we are proud to see how the diaspora has embraced the newly independent Armenian state and has shared the responsibility through the difficult times in Armenia. National unity is undoubtedly the best guarantor for success in achieving our national goals, such as building a strong and prosperous Armenia, defending the freedom of Artsakh, and achieving international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

A.W.—What is Armenia’s position on the international campaign to recognize the Armenian Genocide? Has Armenia’s policy changed after the election of President Sarkisian?

T.M.—Armenia’s official position on genocide recognition has been stated in public on many occasions over the previous years. The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not just about addressing the historic injustice, but it has a direct bearing on current developments and prospects for peace and stability in the South Caucasus region. Turkey continues to deny the facts of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire and continues to deflect from addressing the important issues of the present, such as lifting the blockade they have imposed on Armenia for 15 years. This leaves us with no choice but to pursue the recognition of the genocide and a solution of present-day Turkish-Armenian problems internationally.
In his first public remarks on foreign policy, President Sarkisian reiterated that the issues of international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide would remain on Armenia’s foreign policy agenda. And in his Genocide Day address, President Sarkisian noted that “When it comes to genocide condemnation, the denial has no future, especially today, when many countries of the world have added their voices to the voice of truth.” The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not just an Armenian issue. Crimes against humanity have no statute of limitations and bear universal significance and reverberation and must receive universal recognition.

A.W.—What are the prospects for the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations?

T.M.—Our policy toward Turkey will continue under Armenia’s newly elected president. We are ready to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey, just as we have offered consistently since 1991, meaning that Turkey has to resolve all issues bilaterally with Armenia within normally established inter-state relations. This readiness has been reiterated not only by the newly elected president, but also by the newly appointed prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.
Armenia’s position is open and transparent. We set no preconditions for the normalization of bilateral relations. We are interested in concrete steps and results, never in a vague process for the sake of process. In this regard, we find that progress is possible.

A.W.—The increasingly aggressive tone in the Azeri official statements and the Azeri incursion on the line of contact between Nagorno-Karabagh and Azeri forces on March 4 generated grave concerns about the peaceful settlement of the Karabagh conflict. Where do we stand in this process?

T.M.—Armenia’s position on the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict remains consistent under the new Armenian leadership. As stated by President Sarkisian and Minister Nalbandian, we believe that the fact and the right of self-determination of the people of Karabagh must be affirmed and recognized internationally. Armenia remains committed to a peaceful negotiated settlement of the Karabagh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group.

A final settlement is still being negotiated but some realities are already irreversible. The Nagorno-Karabagh Republic has existed since 1991 and conforms to all definitions of an independent state. It has held several presidential and parliamentary elections democratically. Furthermore, it is clear that the Sumgait pogrom, the subsequent massacres and expulsion of the 350,000 Armenians living in Soviet Azerbaijan, as well as the armed hostilities against the Karabagh Armenians and continuing hate rhetoric in Azerbaijan against Armenians and Armenia have created a situation where Azerbaijan can never claim to govern Karabagh. Many in the international community recognize this. And the package on the table mediated by the Minsk Group co-chairs recognizes the right of self-determination of Nagorno-Karabagh.