Leader of the Armenian National Congress, the first president of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan has published his own draft of Armenia's address to the world community ahead of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. Yet in February Ter-Petrosyan slammed the All-Armenian Declaration adopted in January and offered President Serzh Sargsyan to meet and discuss his own option of the document. The meeting did not take place.
In his address, Ter-Petrosyan, particularly, says the term 'genocide' adopted by the UN GA in 1948 can be applied to the extermination of the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire. He said Armenia maintains the process of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and considers it in the context of recognition and condemnation of the crimes against humanity. According to the oppositionist, Armenia must not put the issue of Genocide recognition on the forefront of its foreign policy. Nether Armenia looks to dictate its political agenda to the Diaspora, since Diaspora representatives as citizens of other countries have a right to press their governments and demand recognition
and condemnation of the Genocide.
"Armenia does not demand Turkey to recognize the Genocide of Armenians and considers it as the internal affair of Turkey. This is not about the need to recompense the material damage to the descendants of the Genocide victims and return of their community (church) property, in case of relevant legal documents," the draft reads.
Ter-Petrosyan says Armenia must appeal to European countries for not demanding Turkey to recognize the Genocide of Armenians as a precondition to Turkey's accession to the EU. Armenia, he says, is interested in the European integration of Turkey, since it will ensure regional security and boost economic cooperation in the region.
Armenia is ready to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey based on the Zurich protocols, but will refrain from establishing a joint committee of historians. Ter-Petrosyan believes that historians cannot settle political problems. In addition, discussions on the issue may impede confidence building between the two countries and peoples.
Ter-Petrosyan sees certain "connection" between the Armenian-Turkish relations and the Karabakh peace process. In this light, Armenia must be ready to settle the conflict on the basis of the Madrid principles subject to the fact that before the final settlement, the conditions of the referendum on the future status of Nagorny Karabakh, its terms and consequences will be specified. The first president of Armenia believes it necessary to settle issues connected with long-term deployment of peacekeepers in the region to ensure security of the Karabakh population.
Ter-Petrosyan is ready to discuss the draft will the parties concerned and make corrections and alteration to it, if necessary.