April 12, 2010 - 16:50 AMT
Ararat Zurabyan: RA President reached his goal and may withdraw from Armenian-Turkish process

Currently, the Armenian public is waiting for the results of President Serzh Sargsyan’s meetings in Washington on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit, said the Chairman of the Board of the Armenian National Movement (ANM).

“Besides, people are looking forward to hearing whether U.S. President Barack Obama will use the term Genocide in his annual address to the Armenian community on April 24,” Ararat Zurabyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

Mr. Zurabyan noted that he does not expect anything extraordinary from the Armenian President’s meetings in Washington, as these meetings are aimed at providing Obama with the opportunity not to pronounce the word Genocide on April 24, thus, pleasing Turkey. “Roughly speaking, the U.S. is trying to save its reputation,” he noted.

He believes that not a single document will be signed during President Sargsyan’s meeting with the Turkish Prime Minister in Washington. “Serzh Sargsyan may withdraw both from the Armenian-Turkish process and from the Karabakh conflict settlement, as he has already reached his goal, i.e. he has avoided pressures with respect to the March 1, 2008 tragic events,” he noted.

As for the Armenian-Turkish process, Mr. Zurabyan noted that it would have been right, if Armenia were the first to ratify the Armenian-Turkish Protocols, demonstrating the destructive position of the Turkish side. “Armenia should show that the Armenian-Turkish process does not advance through Turkey’s fault,” said he.