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At a parliamentary debate on the 2013 draft budget on Monday, Nikol Pashinyan, an MP of the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress (ANC), put a number of questions.
One of them concerned Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian's arguments that his visits to "exotic" countries are part of Armenia's foreign policy. "In the major European countries [Armenia's] ambassador stated that Armenia's authorities were committing white genocide against their own people, and mafia seized power in the country," Pashinyan said thereby explaining the reasons for the attention to the FM's visits."For the simple reason, when the FM went to prevent Azerbaijan's activities in SE Asia, Azerbaijani diplomacy was able to get its murderer released in Europe," Pashinyan said.The opposition MP asked if Armenia's authorities admit that football diplomacy thwarted the process of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. According to him, Sweden is the only state that recognized the Armenian Genocide after the Armenian-Turkish protocols were signed.With respect to the U.S. presidential election scheduled for Nov. 6, Pashinyan said: "I can not recall a presidential election campaign that would not even touch on the Armenian Genocide. This is evidence of Armenia's diplomatic achievements," Pashinyan said. In this context he asked how many national leaders visited Armenia this year after so much has been done.Minister Edward Nalbandian said that the Armenian side was well aware of the Armenian-Hungarian deal. That was not struck in a week, but was a process of many years."What they did this August we presented in detail. I too can pit labels, and it would be much more effective," the minister said.As regards Armenian-Turkish relations, Nalbandian noted that it was not until recently that Armenia and Turkey were viewed as equals and was supported by the international community."Russia, the U.S., EU, as well as other international structures, stated Armenia had passed its way and it was Turkey's turn. And it is wrong to ignore this fact. We should remember that we are heard not only in, but also outsid e Armenia. So let us speak of public interests rather than of personal interests," Nalbandian said.Armenia's FM also informed the MPs that his counterparts from more than 20 countries have visited Armenia this year.In response, however, Pashinyan said that Armenia had no ambassador to Hungary six months before Ramil Safarov was released.As regards the issue of Armenian Genocide during presidential campaigns in the U.S., Nalbandian said that "it concerns U.S. citizens, not Armenia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs."   Read more... (409 words)

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