29.11.2012“WE ARMENIANS HAVE TO KEEP OUR ISSUES OF CONCERN IN THE FOCUS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY”
“Hayern Aysor”’s correspondent sat down for an interview with U.S.-based political scientist, international relations expert Anna Ohanyan, who was one of the participants of the Pan-Armenian Conference of Political Scientists and International Relations Experts.
“Hayern Aysor”: What are your expectations from this conference?
Anna Ohanyan: By gathering Armenian political scientists and international relations experts from different corners of the globe, the RA Ministry of Diaspora can establish a professional network, and if the government and non-governmental organizations are able to put the ideas discussed during this conference into practice, that will make Armenia’s political field more flexible. This is exactly what I expect from this conference.
“Hayern Aysor”: Armenia faces several key issues, including the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the key issues facing Syrian-Armenians…Which of these issues do you consider an issue of primary concern?
A. O.: These issues are closely linked to each other. I view them as a network. For instance, the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations would surely help resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, meaning Turkey would pressure Azerbaijan…But we witnessed the steps that Azerbaijan took to prevent the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. As far as Armenian Genocide recognition is concerned, I must say that this is a great issue for all Armenians around the world and our major objective. It signifies the violation of the rights of our nation. It is the issue and pain of the Armenian Diaspora.
“Hayern Aysor”: What is the topic of your speech?
A. O.: The title of my speech is “Regionalism in areas in conflict”. Frankly, I hadn’t prepared this particularly for this conference. This is my research, as well as my second book. I’ll tell you why I got interested in this topic. As we look at the areas in conflict, say, the Balkans, which I have studied a lot, we see that the European community is applying very interesting institutional models here. Even though the war is over there, there is still great political tension. However, the people are able to solve common issues through the development of regional cooperation, and this helps improve their relations. The South Caucasus is completely cut up with conflicts, and the first impression that people have is that there can be no discussion on regionalism in the South Caucasus. We have to think about increasing Armenia’s role in the region through politics and economy. This will help us strengthen our positions in the negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution.
“Hayern Aysor”: As a political scientist and international relations expert, do you have at least some hope that all the views will be summed up around the table of peaceful negotiations in the near future and if that will be the only way of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?
A. O.: Not in this format. Azerbaijan is an authoritarian state and petroleum is its main source of income. Countries with their own natural resources are considered special category counries, meaning the government isn’t dependent on the people and isn’t pressured from other countries. It is in Azerbaijan’s interest to maintain the status-quo since that helps Azerbaijan use the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as an argument that can cause fear. The entire country is in the hands of the Aliyevs, meaning Azerbaijan’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh depends on the country’s domestic policy. If things stay in this format, I don’t see any change. If unpredictable events take place in Azerbaijan, they will have a positive impact on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on negotiations.
“Hayern Aysor”: Is the whole world really interested in the key issues facing Armenia and the Armenian nation, and if so, what is the motive behind that interest? Is everyone heartfelt toward our country’s issues, or do they have other interests?
A.O.: To tell you the truth, Armenia is simply a particle, and our issues aren’t global right now. Many analysts say the delayed resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict isn’t of importance among the issues of international organizations and foreign powers. For Europe, the important thing is to establish energy routes and use those routes to weaken its dependence on Russia.
There is a saying that “The wheel that squeaks the loudest is the one that gets the grease”. This means that we Armenians have to constantly keep our issues of concern in the focus of the international community and organizations.
http://en.hayernaysor.am/1353482350
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