WE MUST HAVE AUTHORITIES ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE, SO DECISIONS SUCH AS THIS ARE NOT TAKEN, SAYS MANOYAN
September 6, 2013
“The decision to join the Customs Union doesn’t mean that we have
abandoned the European vector and that we have returned to the Soviet
Union” stated Giro Manoyan, Head of the ARF-D International Secretariat
during a press conference held on September 6, at “Noyan Tapan” press
club. According to Manoyan the problem is that, it seems as if the
decision was taken right there, in Moscow. “Even President Sargsyan’s
comments slightly differ from the official statements. At the press
conference following the meeting, the President said “I expressed
Armenia’s desire” while at the statement of the two Presidents there is
a reference to Armenia’s decision. Nothing is said about who and where
took this decision. What is wrong here is the way it was taken and
not necessarily the decision itself, which in reality cannot deliver
substantial results at this point. That is also the case with both
EU’s Association, and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA)
Agreements which wouldn’t immediately produce concrete results”. The
ARF-D member said that taking this decision doesn’t mean that Armenia
will be part of the Customs Union tomorrow or in a two-month time,
news.am reports.
Manoyan expressed his dissatisfaction about the fact that Armenia’s
authorities didn’t prepare neither the political parties nor the
European Union, for the decision they made and that this may cause
discontent from the latter’s side. He stressed that had the authorities
taken appropriate steps to inform, the public’s wave of disappointment
would have been lower.
The decision to join the Customs Union must not stand on the way
of the reforms that are necessary for the country as well as of the
political and social integration with the European Union.
Asked about whether he believes that entering the Customs Union would
bring a change to the price of natural gas Manoyan said that he cannot
comment on that since there is no such reference in the statement.
Commenting on the view that wants Armenia’s authorities to have taken
the decision to join the CU merely to keep the power, Manoyan said
that there is such a view and that there was a similar negotiation
with the EU which concluded that the elections conducted in the
country were good. “On this subject, the authorities’ fault is that
they do this on the account of the state and of the people” he added.
In his opinion the important thing is not what the Russians, Kazakhs
or the EU have to say but to have authorities elected by the people,
so that decisions are not taken this way.
There is an issue of maintaining the region’s stability because any
kind of attack by the USA would have unpredictable consequences,
not only in Syria’s case but for the entire region, said Manoyan in
reference to the developments around Syria. “That instability should
concern us. As for the Syrian Armenian community, it is clear that
such operations would increase the dangers threatening its security”.
In regards to Arman Navasartyan’s recent statement about calls
to Syrian Armenians by a number of civic-political organizations,
including the ARF-D, not to flee the country and risk the existence of
the centuries-old community, Manoyan pointed out that ARF-D has never
made that sort of calls and no-one has forced the Syrian Armenians
to leave Syria, but the ARF-D has always stood on the side of the
Syrian Armenians that wanted to settle in Armenia and has supported
them in their efforts, in every possible way. Manoyan also reminded
that the party has periodically sent financial aid to those caught
in the fighting.
Finally, Manoyan replied to questions in connection to offers made
to ARF-D members to head diplomatic missions abroad. He repeated
that Vahan Hovhannesyan has accepted the proposal to undertake the
ambassadorship in a European country. “Many called this a step of
denying own positions, and others rushed to judgments saying that ARF-D
has been sold” said Manoyan and added that “it isn’t normal passing
early criticism” since many are only assuming that Vahan Hovhannesyan
will implement Armenia’s foreign policy. “If pressure is put on then it
is never too late for one to pick up his things and leave the country,
resigning from the Ambassador’s office” concluded Manoyan.