DID U.S. “BAPTIZE” SERZH SARGSYAN?
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
Published: 13:14:35 – 23/09/2011
On September 22, leaving for the U.S. to participate in the UN General
Assembly session, the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan stopped in
New York’s Elis Island on Hudson River. This island was the island of
emigrants until 1954. Millions of emigrants entered the U.S. through
this island, including the Armenian survivals of the genocide.
On this island, Serzh Sargsyan was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of
Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, NECO. Six
U.S. Presidents were awarded this medal, as well as a lot of other
officials and congressmen. But Serzh Sargsyan is the only president
of a foreign country to receive this award.
“Serzh Sargsyan is the first foreign president to have this honor. He
is a person who fought for his country, whose visions of free and
independent Armenia enjoy the support of the U.S. administration and
world countries. The most important is that he launched peace and
tolerance talks with his neighbors bringing his people to peace. Mr.
President, for what you have done for your country and the Armenian
and American relations, the history will remember you with respect,”
stated Nasser Kamezi, NECO Head.
This event is really interesting and symbolic. Awarding a foreign
president with this medal, the U.S. “baptizes” Serzh Sargsyan as an
“American” president, in the political sense of this phrase. This
medal does not symbolize a person’s visit but entry into the U.S.
Roughly speaking, and presenting the event without diplomatic and
political nuances, we could say the U.S. is presenting Serzh Sargsyan
to the world as “their man”.
Serzh Sargsyan does not oppose to this. Anyway, the award could
hardly be a surprise to him and he could hardly fail to understand
the meaning of it. On the other hand, Serzh Sargsyan apparently is
not given a chance to choose.
Of course, this does not mean he has been deceived or forced,
blackmailed, which is impossible according to his speech at the
military parade in Yerevan, Perhaps, he has been told what the price
of his visit to the U.S. will be. Apparently, this is the reason why
this visit as a “product” of political perspective is so important
to Serzh Sargsyan that he did not bargain and agreed to pay the high
price charged by the Americans.
The U.S. will hardly give medals and present people as “their men”
just for fun. This is a reliable protective shield in the world but
it supposes great responsibility, especially when you consider using
this shield to protect your own government by dancing on the “rope”.
Although, it is not ruled out in theory that Serzh Sargsyan paid that
price realizing what the system of values in the 21st century is for
political perspectives and secure success.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress