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On April 11-14 the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan will pay an official visit to Lebanon. On this occasion the reporter of Azg daily talked to the Speaker of RA National Assembly over a number of issues:
“Mr. Abrahamyan, after the visit to Armenia in 1997 of the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri it’s the first time that the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament will visit Lebanon. The relations of the two countries are very warm. In the friendly country we have rather influential Armenian community. There are two Armenian ministers in the Government of Lebanon, six Armenian MPs. How are the Armenian-Lebanese parliamentary relations today?”
“First of all, I say that the friendly warm relations that exist between Armenia and Lebanon, are based on mutual trust. That trust exists at all levels between the political, economic peoples.
Regarding the parliamentary cooperation, it began in 1993. Today parliamentary friendship groups are functioning in the parliaments of the two countries, which contribute to the development of the inter-state relations. In Armenia we warmly remember the visit of the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri to our country in 1997. We cannot forget and not to remember with gratitude that on May 12, 2000 the Parliament of Lebanon presided over him recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire. And on April 3, 1997 the National Council of Lebanon adopted a Resolution, where it recognized April 24 as Commemoration Day of the Armenian people’s tragic massacre.
The members of the Armenian-Lebanese Friendship Parliamentary Group of the Parliament of Lebanon also took part in the events organized in 2005 within the framework of the 15th anniversary of the Armenian Parliament.
It’s very good that the Armenian MPs are included in the Parliament of Lebanon. I am sure that it is an additional impetus for the development of the Armenian-Lebanese relations and inter-parliamentary cooperation.”
“The traditional Armenian parties of Lebanon, despite the existing competition among them cooperate, have united council, which often is also able to have an influence on the decisions of the state structures of Lebanon. How do you assess their role?”
“By your permission, I’ll begin from Armenia: any tension in the motherland willy-nilly had an impact on the feelings of the Diaspora.
The Armenian authorities are for retaining stability and ensuring development in the country, to which are directed their steps, as the split after all did not benefit anybody. The traditional Armenian parties in Lebanon are consolidated in national issues, which testifies to the fact that they are led by that conscience. One of the freshest expressions was the circumstance that the three Armenian traditional parties in Lebanon made joint statements after the initiation of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, claiming that the Armenian-Turkish relations should be established without preconditions.
In every country the issue of retaining Armenian identity is prior for the Armenian community. The influential Armenian community of Lebanon always was distinguished by good organizational skills and dignity. Due to the existing friendly attitude towards them in Lebanon, the Armenians don’t feel themselves alien. Moreover, the Armenians in Lebanon are patriotic for Armenia and Lebanon. Irrespective of different events I think that the role of the Armenian Lebanese has not decreased in that country, i.e. they are the inseparable branches of the Lebanese Cedar. The traditional Armenian parties of Lebanon took a role of special small motherland on them, a link with the motherland, attitude towards the motherland, preservation of language and word, national identity and defence. In this aspect, their role is invaluable, and also responsible. In honour of the traditional Armenian parties of Lebanon, I’ll say that they deeply realize that responsibility. To retain the roots becomes more complicated with every new generation. But with Armenian scripts, in the name of the Armenian newspapers, with Armenian voice in the name of the Armenian radio stations, they are able to do that, as there is high perception of self-conscience.”
“Referring to the Armenian-Turkish protocols mentioned by you, I’ll say that the issue is especially painful in case of the Armenian Diaspora…”
“Today, some political forces are trying to use our people’s feelings on their own personal interests. And the protocols referring to the Armenian-Turkish relations’ normalization they have made, it will be forgiven to say, a toy for their political ideas. It won’t seem to be surprising but in the Diaspora in general, they refer to this issue more reserved than some Armenian political forces. One thing should be clear for everybody: the Armenian authorities won’t take steps, which will be against the interests of our country, people, nation, which will violate its history and feelings. That is, in 1915 the Armenian Genocide perpetrated towards the Armenian in Ottoman Turkey is an undeniable truth, is not subject of discussion, doubt and bargaining.”
“What will you say about the Armenian-Lebanese relations, taking into account also the activation of Lebanon-Turkey contacts during the recent period?”
“Every country decides itself the format of its relations emanating from its political and economic interests. If Armenia and Lebanon have no problems in inter-state relations, it means that we don’t build our relations taking into account the relations with the third countries, but we emanate from the friendship of our mutual sincere and firm bases, and why not also bilateral interests.
Besides, the history documents that on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and in more deep, Genocide was perpetrated towards Armenians, and on the other shore, in the name of Lebanon, our compatriots, who hardly survived from the genocide, were warmly accepted. The thing that the Parliament of Lebanon officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, the thing that the Armenian Lebanese feel themselves in Lebanon as at home, testifies to the attitude of this country. We won’t forget that Lebanon is the state of the Arabic world with which Armenia has a Friendship Agreement.”
”Lebanon is considered a country of developed financial-banking system, in the conditions of international economic crisis the banking capital of that country has hundred fold increased. What field of cooperation do you see?”
“First, I’ll note that in Armenia about 50 enterprises with Lebanese capital function in different spheres, including, two banks with Lebanese capital in the banking sphere. Especially significant was the investment of Lebanon in the sphere of communication of Armenia.
With respect to deepening of economic relations it would be also desirable that the Armenian businessmen have investments in Lebanon. And here the activation of the works of the Armenian-Lebanese Inter-Governmental Commission can have its role.
In the sense of confronting the economic crisis the banks in Armenia showed high resistance, and today’s situation shows that their balances are rather healthy. Nevertheless, the experience of the banking system of Lebanon, especially in the conditions of economic crisis is exemplary for Armenia. I think that we can initiate an Armenian-Lebanese banking forum, which can become good opportunity for the exchange of experience, business cooperation and involvement of investments. By the way, as far as I know the Vice Chairman of the Central Bank of Lebanon is Armenian.
In general, we have a big potential of developing economic relations and we should work in that direction.
Azg daily, interview by Marieta Khachatryan
