IT’S IMPORTANT NOT TO ALLOW A MISTAKE: “OPEN LETTER TO SERZH SARGSYAN” BY TER-PETROSYAN.
02.18.2015 12:49 epress.am
The Armenian National Congress (HAK) Party press office has released
the first president of Armenia and HAK leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
article, “The Missed Opportunity for Rehabilitating Armenia’s Political
Atmosphere.”
The English translation of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s article in its
entirety:
In the noon of February 12 of this year, I had sent an article to the
iLur website and to the Chorrord Ishkhanutyun (Fourth Estate) daily,
with the objective of having it published the following morning.
However, when Serzh Sargsyan had come out against Gagik Tsarukyan
in his infamous speech in the evening of February 12, I immediately
recalled my article from the latter two publishers because its
publication would have been perceived in an entirely differentl way
in this new situation. However, after long evaluation, I came to the
conclusion that regardless of domestic political developments, I did
not have the right to conceal a paramount issue, which relates to the
vital interest of all Armenians, Armenia, as well as Nagorno-Karabakh.
Thus, although delayed, nevertheless, I want to present to the public
the article, which I had entitled “Open Letter to Serzh Sargsyan.”
Here is the entire original content of that letter:
“First and foremost, I apologize that I am not approaching You
confidentially, but instead through an open letter, which is due to
two obvious factors:
a. In the event of communicating with You in another manner, taking
into consideration our serious political differences, my move, the
essence of which I will clarify below, would cause various suspicions
and rumors.
b. The motivation behind the letter is related to an important
issue of National and Republican significance, which is the issue of
the appropriate presentation of the 100th anniversary of Armenian
Genocide issue on the international arena, which, as I imagine,
should be above any domestic political issues.
Yesterday, I expressed my concerns about the content of “Pan-Armenian
Declaration on the Centennial Anniversary of Armenian Genocide” through
the media (iLur.am, Chorrort Ishkhanutyun, 11/02/2015), stressing the
necessity for its revised in compliance with the norms of international
law and the rules of the coexistence between peoples and states,
because, I believe that because of that disgraceful document Armenia
would not only not garner the sympathy of the international community,
but would also lose the support of the states its friendly with.
Thereby, considering that only my expressing concern is insufficient,
I want to also make a practical proposal, in which we would meet face
to face to Your convenience and under Your conditions, in order to
exchange ideas about the issue. In order for that meeting to prove
beneficial and be effective, I also think that it is worth creating
an advisory commission, whose goal would be to clarify the Republic
of Armenia’s final stance on the issue of the Genocide. The result
of that commission’s work, thus, should be a newly issued circular
message based on the transcript of the original declaration on the
centennial anniversary of the Genocide, which should be addressed to
the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Acting President of
OSCE, the President of the European Union, as well as to all the state
leaders in the world, in the name of the President of the Republic
of Armenia.
Therefore:
1. The declaration must fully comply with the UN charter, Helsinki
Declaration and with Armenia’s obligations under international
conventions; 2. It should not contradict the Constitution of the
Republic of Armenia; 2. It should not pay tribute to the traditional
approaches of a once stateless nation, 4. It should in no way harm
the solutions of Armenia’s main issues – Armenian-Turkish relations
and the resolution of Karabakh conflict.
It is understandable, that the proposed advisory commission should be
composed of people, who have already proven that they are capable of
rising above traditional notions and can work from the perspective of
Armenian state interests and principles adopted by the contemporary
world. I would suggest the following names, who comply with the
latter criteria: from Armenia – Babken Araktsyan, Vazgen Manukyan,
Gagik Harutyunyan, Vano Siradeghyan, Vartan Oskanian, Stepan
Demirchyan, Arman Grigoryan, Ruben Shugaryan, Alexander Arzumanyan,
Ashot Voskanyan, Ara Sahakyan, Ruben Vardanyan, Ashot Sargsyan,
Hrand Ter-Abrahamyan, Ktrij Sardaryan. From the United States –
Jirair Libaridian, Khachig Tololyan, Ruben Atalian, Ara Sanjian,
Hampig Sarafian, Raffi Urfalian; from France – Arman Sarian, Jirayr
Malkhasian, Michel Marian, Raffi Kalfayian. From Turkey – Levon
Zekiyan; From Argentina – Rupen Mozian. These are people I know. You
can add your own names.
As the person who came up with the idea, I am willing to
personally participate in the commission’s work, now matter how my
“hostile-friends” will interpret my unexpected move. It’s more
important to not allow a mistake on a national and state level.
Everything else is negligible and secondary.
One more thing, it is possible that I may offer you a similar surprise
when complex developments arise during the resolution process of the
Karabakh issue. When the future of the nation and state are in danger,
I can not sit on my hands and am ready to knock on every door.
12/02/2015″
It upsets me, that hat my suggested idea, based solely on the
interests of the nation, is not possible to implement due to the
current political retribution and ferocious violence against Gagik
Tsarukyan, Prosperous Armenia and the general opposition. Let me also
add that it does not interest me at all what kind of bewailing will
be raised about my publication, whose urgency is conditioned by the
approaching centennial of the Genocide and the imminence of April 24.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
http://www.epress.am/en/2015/02/18/its-important-not-to-allow-a-mistake-%E2%80%9Copen-letter-to-serzh-sargsyan%E2%80%9D-by-ter-petrosyan.html