EU making efforts to amend Bosnian genocide denial law implemented by Austrian diplomat

YEREVAN: A phrase Armen Sarkissian likes to repeat when describing his imaginative and prescient for Armenia is “small nation, world state.” As president of the republic, he doesn’t mince his phrases with regards to his nation’s strengths, weaknesses, alternatives and threats. 
Occupying solely 29,743 sq. kilometers of territory, Armenia is comparable in measurement to Belgium or the US state of Maryland. Nonetheless, whereas there are fewer than three million Armenians residents dwelling in his nation, the Armenian diaspora worldwide is estimated to be between 5 and 7 million — with the US alone accounting for as much as 1.5 million.
Famend for his or her contributions globally, together with within the Arab world, Armenians have left their mark in science, politics, sports activities, tradition and leisure. That is most likely why Sarkissian not solely considers his nation’s diaspora a significant level of energy, however goes so far as to say that Armenians overseas are as essential a nationwide useful resource as oil is to Gulf international locations. In truth, he believes on this concept a lot that he needs his nation’s structure to vary, to allow extra Armenians dwelling overseas to take part in authorities.

“By structure, an Armenian from overseas can’t change into a minister except he lives 4 years, the final 4 years, in Armenia, and carries solely an Armenian passport, which I think about full nonsense on this new world,” he tells Arab Information in his first interview with a Saudi media outlet. “It must be the opposite manner round. It’s a must to convey individuals which can be so profitable worldwide. There are tons of of hundreds of skilled individuals and we’re not utilizing them. I imply, think about a Gulf state that determined to not use oil.”

To enhance this, Sarkissian additionally believes in investing closely in human capital at house and is pleased with what Armenia has achieved within the fields of expertise and science, one thing he says all sensible nations — reminiscent of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE — are already doing. 
However regardless of this promising imaginative and prescient, the vibe will not be all that optimistic in Yerevan, as individuals are conscious about their nation’s weaknesses and the threats it faces. The geopolitical shadows of the previous appear to hang-out the current — very like the everlasting flame on the coronary heart of Tsitsernakaberd, the genocide memorial devoted to the lives of the 1.5 million Armenians who perished by the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1916. 
Modern-day Turkey — one among Armenia’s 4 neighbors, together with Iran, Georgia and Azerbaijan — nonetheless doesn’t acknowledge the genocide and stays at odds with Yerevan. Final yr, a second conflict erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But once more, the battle was over the disputed area of Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally acknowledged as Azeri. Turkey publicly supported Baku, whereas Iran is alleged to have silently supported Armenia — although that is disputed by some lecturers and analysts in Yerevan. 
The conflict ended with an Azeri victory and a cease-fire brokered by Russia, leaving a Armenia in a battle to forestall the cruel geopolitical realities of the current from interfering with its bold imaginative and prescient of the long run. 
This was a problem for Sarkissian, but additionally meant discovering new — and far wanted — horizons and alternatives for Armenia. One apparent alternative was Saudi Arabia, which since final yr has been advocating for a peaceable resolution between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

A historic go to

Sarkissian made historical past in October when he turned the primary Armenian president to go to Saudi Arabia for the reason that independence of his nation in 1991. Though the 2 international locations have by no means been mutually hostile, neither have that they had diplomatic relations since Riyadh supported Azerbaijan’s place within the first Karabakh conflict in 1988-1994.
Sarkissian says that’s “unlucky,” and that one among his “first targets” upon changing into president in 2018 was to determine diplomatic ties with the Kingdom, which he describes as a “crucial, very influential and really outstanding state, the guardian of the religion of Islam.”
Throughout his go to, Sarkissian sat subsequent to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the Future Funding Initiative convention, also known as “Davos within the Desert.” He revealed to Arab Information the substance of his discussions with the crown prince, which he says weren’t prolonged however “very particular.”

“Initially, it was a dialogue concerning the respect of the 2 sides for one another as a nation, as a state, and as people. The second factor was that we spoke about our diplomatic relations, and we agreed that in actuality our diplomatic relations began with that go to, and I’ve made invites for the minister of state and overseas minister of Saudi Arabia, and naturally His Royal Highness, to go to Armenia.

“The third most essential a part of our dialogue was centered on the long run, and I used to be very joyful to search out in my discussions with His Royal Highness that he’s very centered on the way forward for his nation, on the way forward for the area, on the way forward for the Gulf and the way forward for the world.”

Sarkissian says a timeline for exchanging ambassadors and opening embassies is a matter for the related departments in his authorities and the Saudi International Ministry. “To be sincere, for me that is secondary, as a result of what we agreed to is to contemplate that we now have opened a brand new web page in our relationships,” he says. 
Sarkissian regrets that his go to was restricted to sooner or later, however he met many individuals — and the key influencing issue for him was his dialog with the crown prince. “I do imagine in his honesty as a frontrunner and the place he’s main his nation, and that’s very a lot in the precise course,” he says.
Nonetheless, Armenia additionally enjoys pleasant relations with Iran, a regime notorious for interfering within the affairs of its neighbors and influencing selections to serve its pursuits. Would this deter any prospect of normalization of ties with Saudi Arabia and average Arab states? “No, by no means,” says Sarkissian. Armenia will not be a spiritual state and already enjoys “glorious relations” with Arab international locations in addition to Iran, which “didn’t take the trail of destroying Armenian heritage or church buildings —actually the federal government financed the restoration of Armenian church buildings in Iran.”
He clarify that it’s in his nation’s curiosity to keep up good relations with Tehran. “We’re a landlocked state,” and Yerevan already has troubled relations with two neighbors (Turkey and Azerbaijan), so it can’t afford to upset the connection it enjoys with the remaining two, Iran and Georgia, which he describes as his nation’s gateway to Russia and the Black Sea.

Nonetheless, Sarkissian does perceive what he describes because the “issues” of Saudi Arabia. “I do perceive and I see the tensions, I do perceive and see Iran and the Gulf, Iran and Lebanon, OK, and I see what Saudi Arabia is doing within the area and the Gulf.” 
However what precisely are the depths of the Armenian-Iranian relationship? Does Tehran play any position militarily, or intrude in safety or coverage affairs, because it does with nearly all its neighbors?

I do perceive the issues of Saudi Arabia. I do perceive and I see the tensions, I do perceive and see Iran and the Gulf, Iran and Lebanon

“They don’t intrude in army or safety,” Sarkissian insists. “They’ve their pursuits in what is occurring now within the south of Armenia, which after all issues Iran.” Yerevan and Tehran take pleasure in a relationship that’s historic and cultural, and have mutual pursuits reminiscent of vitality and commerce, he says. 
However what about perceptions of Tehran’s secret assist for Armenia throughout the current Karabakh conflict? And the way does President Sarkissian interpret Iranian army drills close to the Azeri border? 
“That’s their very own coverage, they don’t intrude in Armenia,” he replies. “I believe … in the event that they really feel a hazard taking place on their borders it’s their inside challenge.”
Sarkissian additionally strongly rejects solutions that the Karabakh battle was not only a land dispute, but additionally a spiritual conflict between Christian-majority Armenia and Muslim-majority Azerbaijan. “It was by no means a spiritual conflict,” he says. “Armenia has fantastic relations with a number of states the place Islam is a significant faith, states the place Islam is the one faith, or states which have Islam as their state faith”. 

“The opposite aspect (referring to Azerbaijan and Turkey) generally like to make use of that (the “spiritual conflict” description) so as so as to accumulate assist from Islamic world, however Armenia by no means tried to get assist from Christian states.”

In the meantime, a number of Armenian analysts have criticized what they describe as Pakistan’s open and ideological assist for the Azerbaijani-Turkish axis, and say that joint army drills with the Azeri aspect additional complicate the scenario. Sarkissian says Yerevan has no diplomatic relations with Pakistan — “I’m making an attempt to construct them, as a result of I don’t come from the idea that if anyone helps my competitor or the enemy I shouldn’t speak to him.
“Pakistan will not be a rustic we are able to ignore. We’re not able of going to conflict with Pakistan, that’s full nonsense. We must always attempt to have a dialogue and see the place it takes us, and once more I don’t see any once more contradiction between having a dialogue with Pakistan and our deep and good relations with India.”

Peace within the South Caucasus? 

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay stated final week that Ankara was engaged on advancing the dialogue with Armenia, in coordination with Azerbaijan. “Turkey stands not just for the normalization of relations with Armenia, but additionally for peace and stability in the whole Caucasus,” he stated. Turkey has engaged in an array of regional conflicts lately, and its economic system has now deteriorated to unprecedented ranges. Though this isn’t the primary try to bridge the rift between the 2 neighbors, many observers imagine Ankara’s political and financial difficulties current a real alternative for Armenia. 
So, does Yerevan welcome these developments? Does this Armenian goodwill expressed by its president prolong to arch-rival Turkey? 
“Armenia is politically divided, particularly after the conflict, as you may think about,” Sarkissian says. “Each state, when you could have a conflict and also you lose the conflict and there are such a lot of tensions, then it’s not homogeneous in its habits. I’d by no means say that I communicate on behalf of all Armenians.
“I’m the president of a parliamentary republic, I’m the top of state, however I’m not the chief who runs present affairs within the authorities. It’s the federal government that has to reply to the Turkish aspect, and the supply.” It might be flawed for him to remark or decide at this stage, he says. 
“Any settlement … ought to undergo a proper technique of being delivered to the parliament,” he explains. “The second it reaches my desk you’ll hear my voice, and because the president of the republic I can both signal no matter is agreed — if I think about that it’s in concord with the nationwide curiosity of the state and the individuals of Armenia — or I’ve an opportunity not signal it, after which ship it, for instance, to the constitutional courtroom so the highest legal professionals can focus on this challenge and provides me recommendation.”
As for Azerbaijan, for the reason that worldwide group has acknowledged Karabakh as Azeri and makes an attempt to resolve the difficulty proceed, does Sarkissian see any position for influential regional or spiritual our bodies such because the Gulf Cooperation Council or the Group of Islamic Cooperation in supporting peace efforts within the Caucasus? 
“My recommendation can be, let’s attempt to discover a logical resolution that will likely be acceptable on either side. Any resolution that’s compelled is not going to final,” he says.
Sarkissian argues that it’s the Azeris who must be providing compromises to make sure an enduring peace. “There’s not a lot the Armenian aspect can compromise on as we speak,” he says. “We might have compromised ranging from 1994, once we had been victorious … that was the time for compromise and to return to a diplomatic resolution somewhat than a conflict resolution that’s an enormous remorse, as a result of hundreds of younger lives had been misplaced for one thing that would have been achieved via diplomatic channels.” 

Let’s attempt to discover a logical resolution that will likely be acceptable on either side. Any resolution that’s compelled is not going to final

Nonetheless, the conflict was not a whole loss for Armenia. Sarkissian attracts an attention-grabbing analogy with Turkey, and explains why there are nonetheless loads of alternatives for his nation.  
“Throughout the conflict, we misplaced. However the Armenian financial unit — the dram — was steady. It misplaced a bit bit, however after the conflict it turned stronger than earlier than. In opposition to the US greenback, the Turkish lira went down dramatically.”
The important thing distinction, Sarkissian says, is that Armenia has safeguarded the independence of its central financial institution, whereas Turkey has not. “There’s one thing we did proper across the early Nineties, we rebuilt our banking sector. We had greater than 150 banks, and as in each Soviet republic most of them had been pyramid schemes, however we managed to herald worldwide banks.
“The primary was HSBC, I’m proud to say I introduced them right here, they usually helped us to construct our legal guidelines into the banking sector. And in Armenia we now have a central financial institution that’s actually unbiased from the federal government.”
Banking will not be the one sector Sarkissian is pleased with. He speaks extremely of Armenia’s expertise and agricultural sectors, and even his nation’s pure water. Sipping from a bottle of domestically sourced nonetheless water, he elaborates on how wealthy his nation is in pure water, and insists he can distinguish between the totally different tastes —like a wine connoisseur. 
Armenia joined the Eurasian Financial Union in 2015, but additionally has sturdy financial relations with the EU. Sarkissian says the resultant tax and customs alignments current a possibility for Gulf firms and others to register in Armenia and run companies from there. “A number of international locations, together with Singapore, wish to have deeper relations with the Eurasian Financial Union, and Armenia generally is a gateway,” he says.

A message to the Arab world

Sarkissian remembers the important thing position performed by the Gulf states and the Arab world in offering refuge for Armenians who escaped the 1915-1916 genocide.
“They discovered houses in Syria, in Lebanon, in Egypt, within the Gulf states together with Saudi Arabia,” he says. “I take this chance to thank these nations, and the heads of state of all these Center Japanese states, particularly Arab states, that had been so brotherly to us.
“These are states the place the principle faith is Islam, or the one faith is Islam, they usually took in homeless Armenians who had been Christians as their brothers and sisters. So this is a chance to thank them.”
Considerably, greater than 100 years later, that migration is occurring in reverse as Armenians flee their determined plight in international locations reminiscent of Syria and Lebanon. Sarkissian believes that, actually within the case of Lebanon, it might be preferable to assist the Armenian group in remaining of their adopted nation.
“5 or ten years in the past that was a rustic that was dwelling in concord,” he says. “In fact there was interference there, however what they received flawed was on the monetary aspect, due to the construction of the structure and the best way they had been working their affairs.
“However I’d love to assist our Armenian group there so they’ll keep, as a result of there may be an excessive amount of tradition, an excessive amount of presence, and they’re essential — as are our Armenian communities in lots of different locations.”