If the international community had collectively responded to the Armenian Genocide, we would be living in a different 20th century now: Serzh Sargsyan’s interview to Corriere Della Sera

YEREVAN, 13 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. During the official visit to Italy, President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan gave an interview to the Italian Corriere Della Sera newspaper. In his interview, he talked about the 100thanniversary of the Armenian Genocide and Armenia’s foreign policy.

“If the international community had collectively responded to the Armenian Genocide, we would be living in a different 20thcentury now, and we might not have been speaking about what is happening to Christian minorities in the Middle East. There is a tendency to underestimate the 20thcentury, and very often interests are placed above values,” the President of the Republic of Armenia said, astert.amreports.

The newspaper recalls that April 24thmarks the 100thanniversary of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated in Ottoman Turkey and that Armenia is preparing to commemorate it with a message to the world.

“Our message on the 100thanniversary is addressed to the prevention of genocides. This is a request for political commitment of the international community, and we have the moral right to do that. The prevention and condemnation of such crimes must not be subordinate to geopolitical interests. We have reached a point where we need to make collective efforts,” Serzh Sargsyan said.

Corriere Della Sera: Why is it so hard to reach consensus on what happened after one hundred years? There is still silence, and not only from Turkey.

Serzh Sargsyan: The Armenian Genocide is undisputed. Some countries refer to it as genocide, others refer to it as massacres and others refer to it as a tragedy. As for the other countries, the lack of recognition is due to their interests with Turkey.

Corriere Della Sera: Italy and Armenia have great relations. Trade turnover has doubled in the past four years, moving from $127 million dollars to $214 million dollars. What is your outlook for the future?

Serzh Sargsyan: What unites our two countries are great interests and the same universal values. I’m certain that it won’t take long before the trade turnover doubles again, thanks to the development of our business climate in the sense of advantages and opportunities for foreign companies.

Corriere Della Sera: Armenia is an exception amid the tension between countries of Western Europe and the Russian Federation. Since January 1, Armenia has been a member of the Eurasian Economic Union along with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, but at the same time, Armenia is in the major stage of negotiations over the EU Associated Agreement. How are these two agreed upon? Referring to Ukraine, where the crisis emerged as a result of the discrepancy between the two, can Armenia become a model?

Serzh Sargsyan: By joining the Eurasian Economic Union, Armenia has gained very favorable prices for energy. As far as Armenia’s relations with the European Union are concerned, the EU makes a great contribution to democratic reforms taking place in our country. Therefore, the combination of interests and values lies at the core of our choices. As for the model, I can’t say anything about that now. Time will be the best judge. But one thing is for sure-in the future Armenia will help achieve the establishment of close cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union.

Corriere Della Sera: Will Armenia play the role of the catalyst?

Serzh Sargsyan: What lies at the core of the strategic conspectus of Armenia’s foreign policy is not discrepancy, but cooperation and the synergy between force centers of the world. Let me bring up another example. Armenia is one of the constituent countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which includes certain countries of the former Soviet Union, but at the same time, we collaborate with NATO.

Translation from Italian to Armenian by Mery Mikayelyan

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