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of the Republic of Armenia
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The German Marshall Fund Brussels Forum, held in Brussels in Spring every
year, convened this year to discuss strategic issues of importance to
Europe, the US and its partners around the world.
The three-day conference included presentations by European Union Foreign
and Security Policy Chief Javier Solana, Head of the World Bank Robert
Zoellick, French Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner, US Homeland
Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Canadian Defense Minister Peter Mackay,
as well as members of government from Afghanistan, Germany, France, Turkey,
Canada, and other countries.
In a round-table discussion, Minister Vartan Oskanian participated as a
panelist to discuss "Does the Path to Europe Extend to the Caucasus?"
Together with Georgian State Minister for Re-Integration, Minister Oskanian
addressed issues having to do with Armenia’s current domestic political
dilemma, and its context. Portions of the Minister’s contents can be found
below.
My response to the question would have been the same, even had we not had
our post-election crisis of these last several weeks. In fact, the
post-election situation simply reinforces my answer.
On the one hand, you’d think this question has been asked and answered. We’re
here, right? We share history, values and civilization, we also share the
goals of an integrated, interdependent, interrelated European political and
economic community.
On the other hand, since the Caucasus is still a place that clings to old
frontier posts, old ways, old solutions, I guess it’s fair to keep repeating
the question, just so everyone asking and everyone answering are forced to
look in the mirror.
I’ve said this before – Europe used to have religious, geographic and
cultural boundaries. Today, Europe by definition is political. Europe takes
for granted that its national aspirations are fulfilled, that its
institutions are functioning and responsive. The only time when Europe stops
to ask whether their path goes there, is when there are questions about
democracy and authoritarianism, rule of law, values and systems.
Europe takes for granted that it voluntarily suspended some aspects of
sovereign political and economic rights in order to build structures which
would enhance and consolidate political and economic advantages, and
diminish the damages of war and threat of war.
We on the other hand, in our region, still live with the threat of war, with
some damages of war, and with great vulnerabilities about giving up any
aspects of our newly acquired rights, even within our own societies. In
fact, doubts and fears are so great that the political and social
institutions of our societies are still not working right.
Georgia last fall, Armenia just last month – these are perfect examples of
the absence of the institutions that work. Are they a departure from the
path of democracy, from the path of Europe? No. They were a shock, a glitch,
a blimp, an aberration in the process. And let me warn you. We will have
more.
In the post-soviet period, in post-soviet places, trusting in institutions –
that would have been an aberration. The functioning of those institutions
cannot be completely flushed out of certain old instincts and patterns. It
takes time for that to happen by those who run the institutions and –
because there’s more of them – even more time by those who are affected by
those institutions.
In other words, as our post-electoral processes, as Georgia’s pre-electoral
processes, and as Azerbaijan’s to come, I’m sure, demonstrated, society’s
lack of confidence in those institutions is so great that they believe
change must come from the street.
Is this the path to Europe?
I still believe it is. The events surrounding our last elections are a
perfect example. There was progress in those elections, everyone said so. No
one expected ideal, they just expected better. We delivered better. But
because the trust level is so low and because the stakes are so high, the
needs are so dire, better wasn’t good enough. They took to the streets
thinking political change means endless political revolution.
We know that’s not the case. We’ve had our political and economic
revolutions in our region. What we haven’t had is social revolution.
And for the next decade, on our path to Europe, we will come to Europe to
ask you to work with us for that social revolution – to bring massive and
meaningful change in two critical areas – the media, and the educational
system.
Just as Europe’s path to Europe took more than a century, ours will take
time too. But together, let’s make sure it doesn’t take a whole century.