turkey must recognize genocide, French president says in yerevan
May 13, 2014 - YEREVAN (ArmRadio)—“Turkey must recognize
the Armenian Genocide,” French President Francoise Hollande said at a joint
press conference with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian on Tuesday in Yerevan.
The French President reaffirmed that he will visit Armenia on the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. “This is a call to the world to prevent the recurrence of such
tragedies in the future,” he said. “With this visit, France will once again reiterate its position that
all genocides should be condemned,” Hollande said.
Speaking about the Karabakh issue, President Hollande said: “As a Minsk
Group co-chairing country, France is ready to do its best to find a solution to
the issue. Although there is a ceasefire agreement, it’s not enough. A thorough
resolution is needed,” he said.
Francois Hollande added that France is ready to host a meeting of the
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to help find confidence-building measures.
There have been fears in the recent period that the confrontation
between Russia and the West could negatively affect the cooperation between the
Minsk Group Co-Chairs and their shared stance on the issue, which would, in
turn, result in the reconsideration and change of their positions.
Commenting on this, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian said: “The
Co-Chairs have said on many occasions that they have a united stance, which
implies that the status of Nagorno Karabakh conflict should be determined
through a legally binding free expression of will of the people. There is no
alternative to the realization of the principle of self-determination,”
President Sarkisian said.
He added that the approach was recently reiterated by US Co-Chair James
Warlick. “He didn’t say anything new. He reconfirmed what his President had
said on many occasions.” Sarkisian said. “The same approach was reflected in
the statement of the Co-Chairs on the 20th anniversary of the ceasefire
agreement,” he said, adding that “Azerbaijan’s attempts to interpret the
approaches in a different way are doomed to fail.”
France
‘Understands’ Armenia’s Pro-Russian Stance
French President Francois Hollande pointedly declined to criticize Armenia for
backing Russia’s intervention in Ukraine and voiced support for an Association
Agreement with the European Union sought by the Armenian government during the
press conference on Tuesday, RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) reported.
Hollande, whose country has imposed economic sanctions on Moscow
together with other Western powers, said he understands the motives behind
Armenia’s de facto recognition of the Russian annexation of Crimea. President
Serzh Sarkisian opted for it “in a certain political and geographic context”
reflecting the traditionally close Russian-Armenian relations, he said.
“I don’t want to judge. I want to understand, which is what I have done
during this visit,” Hollande told a joint news conference with Sarkisian held
at the end of his two-day trip.
Sarkisian commented vaguely on the reasons why Armenia was one of the
few nations that recognized a disputed referendum in Crimea that was followed
by the region’s absorption into Russia strongly condemned by the West. “We have
been friends with Russia for almost 250 years,” he said.
Answering the same question, Sarkisian went on to defend his unexpected
decision last year to join the Russian-led Customs Union. He cited Armenia’s
close economic ties with Russia and the fact that the two ex-Soviet states are
“in the same security system.”
“On top of that, the Customs Union gives member states some
privileges,” he added. “For example, it enables Armenia to import energy
resources at competitive prices, which allows us … to manufacture competitive
goods.”
Sarkisian reiterated that his government at the same time hopes to
deepen relations with the EU through the Association Agreement. “We spoke with
Mr. Hollande about that; it would be very desirable to have a special association
offer to the Republic of Armenia,” he said.
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) on Monday night,
Hollande confirmed that France supports a “special model” of political
association between the EU and Armenia. “Europe must accept an agreement on
association with Armenia, and Armenia can go [ahead] with a trade and
commercial union with Russia,” he said in English. “That’s not a problem for
me.”
Armenia spent three years negotiating the Association Agreement with
the EU and was on track to sign it until Sarkisian’s Customs Union U-turn
announced last September. The EU abandoned the planned agreement afterwards,
saying that its most important provisions relating to free trade are “not
compatible” with membership in the Russian-led bloc. The EU’s executive body
has since repeatedly rejected an Armenian proposal to conclude a watered-down
version of the accord that would not contain those provisions.
UACLA, United Armenian Council, April 24, Montebello Monument