Daily Archives: October 10, 2009

The two-part document calling for normalization and regulating various aspects of Armenian-Turkish relations is being signed today in Zurich between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Turkey. As a guarantor of the importance attached to the protocols, the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton will attend the event, so will a number of other major figures.
The protocols can and are being criticized in Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan, which is a sure sign, that the documents are indeed a result of compromise.
Meanwhile, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutiun), is living through a period of revitalization – the party is organizing protest actions, rallies not only in Armenia, but abroad. It was surely expected, that the party, which exists primarily for fulfilling the “Hay Dat”, Armenia’s call for justice against the Ottoman Empire, would be energized in the wake of signing the protocols. Meanwhile, the fashion in which ARF is protesting leads onlookers with the feeling, that the Dashnaks don’t believe in their protests themselves, but they just have to do it.
Frankly, I’m glad to know, they the ARF protests will have no impact, glad to know, that for once the monopolization of political power is going to render results and president Sarkissian with his Republican party will push forward with signing the deal. In fact, this is one of the rare cases, where I wholeheartedly welcome the policy the government is implementing.
PS: I’m having to go through a great amount of effort to write this entry, as I’m locked in the hospital with “Hepatitis A”, with nearly no access to internet. So, today, let’s become a little more optimistic and hope, that with signing of the protocols, something big and positive will indeed change in the Caucasus.