I came across this article on Groong and it reminded me of a by chance encounter I had with Jirair Libaridian three years ago, all the stories I heard from the people here of Libaridian and the advice he would give to the President.
I�ll let you read the article and then my comments.
ADVISOR OF EX PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA DISCUSSES KARABAKH PROBLEM IN BAKU
Arminfo
13 June 2002
YEREVAN
Pres.Ter-Petrossyan's Foreign Policy Advisor Zhirayr Liparityan has been to Baku for nearly a week. A U.S. citizen and professor of Harvard, Liparityan is reported to have been collecting materials for his book on the Karabakh conflict. According to the Baku media, Liparityan has met with Azeri experts, political figures and diplomats. He discussed with them if it is possible to resume peace talks on the Karabakh conflict. One of the participants in the meeting said later that Liparityan's visit gave occasion to many to think that Armenia was interested in the early settlement of the conflict. He also said that many political forces in Armenia may have been looking for ways to hasten the negotiating process. To recap, Liparityan has already visited Baku once. It was three years ago and he was received by Pres.Aliev then.
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Here is what seems to represent Yerevan's view on who Libaridian is on an official level.
Yerevan Denies Involvement In Former Karabakh Envoy's Visit To Azerbaijan
RFE/RL Armenian Service
Thursday 11 March 1999
The Armenian authorities on Thursday distanced themselves from a planned visit to Baku by Jirair Libaridian, Armenia's former chief negotiator on Nagorno-Karabakh, saying that he will be traveling on his own.
The Azerbaijani news agency Turan said on Wednesday that Libaridian will arrive in Baku from Paris on Friday as a "private guest" of President Heydar Aliev's chief foreign policy aide. It quoted Vafa Guluzade as saying that Libaridian will be visiting Azerbaijan "on his own initiative" to "see Baku" and discuss the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"Libaridian is not authorized to speak on behalf of Armenia," a spokesman for the Armenian foreign ministry told RFE/RL. A US citizen of Armenian origin, Libaridian in 1993-97 was former president Levon Ter-Petrossian's top envoy in internationally mediated talks on Karabakh. He and Guluzade also met several times to discuss the long-running Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict face to face.
Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ara Papian said the former diplomat flew to Paris on Thursday from Yerevan where he had arrived last week to take part in a conference organized by the US East-West Institute. "Libaridian didn't hold meetings with any of Armenian officials while in Yerevan. As a US citizen, he is free to travel to any country," Papian said. But he warned that "psychological difficulties" may arise if Libaridian "tries, in his present status, to discuss issues [in Baku] he is not in a position to deal with."
Libaridian was a key supporter of Ter-Petrossian's foreign policy that would offer more concessions to Azerbaijan to end the Karabakh conflict.
(Hrach Melkumian)
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For those of you who don�t know who Libaridian is, I�ll tell you in short who the Libaridian is that I met three years ago. In fact, I met or saw Libaridian a couple times before that encounter.
The first time I met Libaridian was at his house in the presidential compound with some friends that know him. The only impression I had of him at that time was that he drinks too much, talks too much and was only interested in what he had to say.
The second time I saw him was on an airplane from Armenia to Paris and he was in the back of the plane smoking and standing while the plane landed, ignoring the �fasten your seatbelt� and �no smoking� signs.
The encounter three years ago in a Yerevan restaurant was the most I interacted with him and though he was doing most of the talking, I did get to ask him a couple of questions.
One of my questions was if we were going to see a peace settlement in Artsakh and he said that he had come up with a favorable deal that the Azeri�s agreed to (the one that LTP entered into and then later had to resign for entering into) and the chances of them entering in to the same deal today was slim, but for us would be a good idea to enter into it if given the chance.
The second question was when are people from the Diaspora going to move here? He told me not to wait for people from the Diaspora to move here as everyone is where they want to be and no one is going to move here. Obviously he was wrong, as not only am I here, but there are many more that have moved here and are planning to move here.
There are many Libaridian stories to tell, but one that tells me who Libaritian is in regards to Artsakh would have to be the story of Lachin and Libaridian�s desire to give it to the Azeri�s.
On a visit to the Armenian 5th century monastery of Tsitsernavank, I noticed that bridges that connected Lachin with Goris had all been blown up. I asked the government official that was with me if they had been destroyed during the war? He said no, when we liberated this land the bridges were fine. He went on to tell of how in May of 1993, Libaridian had decided that in order to make peace with the Azeri�s, we would give back Lachin and before offering it to them, all the bridges between Armenia and Lachin were blown up. When the offer was made to the Azeri�s, they were suspicious of our motives and in the end, the powers to be did not allow the deal that would have again cut Artsakh off from Armenia and probably an end to the conflict and the Armenian people that live here.
Maybe from this, one can understand how Libaridian is a welcomed guest to Azerbaijan and it makes me wonder whose interests he is working for? I should add that Libaridian at the time of my encounter mentioned that he was to soon be working as the advisor on Caspian issues for IREX (this is a US government sponsored organization which I understand he later worked for).
As for the comment in the above article of ��Liparityan's visit gave occasion to many to think that Armenia was interested in the early settlement�� can only be a reflection of Libaridian�s distorted views.
Yes we do want a peaceful settlement, but only one that provides safety, security and a promising future for us. From the deal that Libaridian came up with that LTP had to resign for signing into, from what I understand, the basic conditions that I have stated above were not guaranteed.
As far as I�m concerned, the �ADVISOR OF EX PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA� is certainly not the one that can represent us, or find the best settlement that we can agree on if his former and present view of reality is being applied.
I�ll let you read the article and then my comments.
ADVISOR OF EX PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA DISCUSSES KARABAKH PROBLEM IN BAKU
Arminfo
13 June 2002
YEREVAN
Pres.Ter-Petrossyan's Foreign Policy Advisor Zhirayr Liparityan has been to Baku for nearly a week. A U.S. citizen and professor of Harvard, Liparityan is reported to have been collecting materials for his book on the Karabakh conflict. According to the Baku media, Liparityan has met with Azeri experts, political figures and diplomats. He discussed with them if it is possible to resume peace talks on the Karabakh conflict. One of the participants in the meeting said later that Liparityan's visit gave occasion to many to think that Armenia was interested in the early settlement of the conflict. He also said that many political forces in Armenia may have been looking for ways to hasten the negotiating process. To recap, Liparityan has already visited Baku once. It was three years ago and he was received by Pres.Aliev then.
#####
Here is what seems to represent Yerevan's view on who Libaridian is on an official level.
Yerevan Denies Involvement In Former Karabakh Envoy's Visit To Azerbaijan
RFE/RL Armenian Service
Thursday 11 March 1999
The Armenian authorities on Thursday distanced themselves from a planned visit to Baku by Jirair Libaridian, Armenia's former chief negotiator on Nagorno-Karabakh, saying that he will be traveling on his own.
The Azerbaijani news agency Turan said on Wednesday that Libaridian will arrive in Baku from Paris on Friday as a "private guest" of President Heydar Aliev's chief foreign policy aide. It quoted Vafa Guluzade as saying that Libaridian will be visiting Azerbaijan "on his own initiative" to "see Baku" and discuss the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"Libaridian is not authorized to speak on behalf of Armenia," a spokesman for the Armenian foreign ministry told RFE/RL. A US citizen of Armenian origin, Libaridian in 1993-97 was former president Levon Ter-Petrossian's top envoy in internationally mediated talks on Karabakh. He and Guluzade also met several times to discuss the long-running Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict face to face.
Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ara Papian said the former diplomat flew to Paris on Thursday from Yerevan where he had arrived last week to take part in a conference organized by the US East-West Institute. "Libaridian didn't hold meetings with any of Armenian officials while in Yerevan. As a US citizen, he is free to travel to any country," Papian said. But he warned that "psychological difficulties" may arise if Libaridian "tries, in his present status, to discuss issues [in Baku] he is not in a position to deal with."
Libaridian was a key supporter of Ter-Petrossian's foreign policy that would offer more concessions to Azerbaijan to end the Karabakh conflict.
(Hrach Melkumian)
#####
For those of you who don�t know who Libaridian is, I�ll tell you in short who the Libaridian is that I met three years ago. In fact, I met or saw Libaridian a couple times before that encounter.
The first time I met Libaridian was at his house in the presidential compound with some friends that know him. The only impression I had of him at that time was that he drinks too much, talks too much and was only interested in what he had to say.
The second time I saw him was on an airplane from Armenia to Paris and he was in the back of the plane smoking and standing while the plane landed, ignoring the �fasten your seatbelt� and �no smoking� signs.
The encounter three years ago in a Yerevan restaurant was the most I interacted with him and though he was doing most of the talking, I did get to ask him a couple of questions.
One of my questions was if we were going to see a peace settlement in Artsakh and he said that he had come up with a favorable deal that the Azeri�s agreed to (the one that LTP entered into and then later had to resign for entering into) and the chances of them entering in to the same deal today was slim, but for us would be a good idea to enter into it if given the chance.
The second question was when are people from the Diaspora going to move here? He told me not to wait for people from the Diaspora to move here as everyone is where they want to be and no one is going to move here. Obviously he was wrong, as not only am I here, but there are many more that have moved here and are planning to move here.
There are many Libaridian stories to tell, but one that tells me who Libaritian is in regards to Artsakh would have to be the story of Lachin and Libaridian�s desire to give it to the Azeri�s.
On a visit to the Armenian 5th century monastery of Tsitsernavank, I noticed that bridges that connected Lachin with Goris had all been blown up. I asked the government official that was with me if they had been destroyed during the war? He said no, when we liberated this land the bridges were fine. He went on to tell of how in May of 1993, Libaridian had decided that in order to make peace with the Azeri�s, we would give back Lachin and before offering it to them, all the bridges between Armenia and Lachin were blown up. When the offer was made to the Azeri�s, they were suspicious of our motives and in the end, the powers to be did not allow the deal that would have again cut Artsakh off from Armenia and probably an end to the conflict and the Armenian people that live here.
Maybe from this, one can understand how Libaridian is a welcomed guest to Azerbaijan and it makes me wonder whose interests he is working for? I should add that Libaridian at the time of my encounter mentioned that he was to soon be working as the advisor on Caspian issues for IREX (this is a US government sponsored organization which I understand he later worked for).
As for the comment in the above article of ��Liparityan's visit gave occasion to many to think that Armenia was interested in the early settlement�� can only be a reflection of Libaridian�s distorted views.
Yes we do want a peaceful settlement, but only one that provides safety, security and a promising future for us. From the deal that Libaridian came up with that LTP had to resign for signing into, from what I understand, the basic conditions that I have stated above were not guaranteed.
As far as I�m concerned, the �ADVISOR OF EX PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA� is certainly not the one that can represent us, or find the best settlement that we can agree on if his former and present view of reality is being applied.
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