Armenian opposition party condemns decision to send troops to Iraq
Noyan Tapan news agency
13 Sep 04
Yerevan, 13 September: The Armenian authorities' decision to send a 50-strong Armenian military unit to Iraq under the command of the Polish military contingent is premature and "simply selfish", the chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia and a National Assembly member from the Justice bloc, Aram Sarkisyan, has said in an interview with a Noyan Tapan correspondent.
He noted that his party roundly condemned this step and called on National Assembly members to vote down the Armenian authorities' agreement to send Armenian servicemen to Iraq.
"If our powers that be had explained to the USA on time that Armenia had a unique position with a large diaspora all over the world and in Arab countries in the first place, I think this would not have happened. Instead, the Armenian authorities are trying, as they believe, to win the USA round," Aram Sarkisyan said.
In the opinion of the Democratic Party leader, Armenian servicemen should be dispatched when stability is established and peaceful reconstruction starts in Iraq. It cannot be ruled out in the current situation, he believes, that Armenians will be taken hostage, and in this context, the blast at the major Christian church in Baghdad was kind of a signal.
Aram Sarkisyan expressed his perplexity over the fact that Armenian servicemen would be stationed in Iraq within the Polish contingent. "Poland is a NATO member, and our authorities have all of a sudden forgotten that Armenia is a member of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization. This decision is completely confusing from the point of view of political culture."
The Democratic Party chairman is confident that the decision to send Armenian servicemen to Iraq runs counter to the national interests. “While a country like Spain is withdrawing troops from Iraq, Armenia wants to be swept into this vortex."
The Democratic Party has issued a statement condemning this decision of the Armenian authorities. The statement calls on the Armenian public to take an active civic position on this issue.
Note: Aram Sarkisyan is NOT Vazgen's brother (Aram Zaveni Sarkisyan) but Aram Gaspar Sarkisyan who used to Kocharian's Presidential Advisor on Foreign Policy until he resigned.
Noyan Tapan news agency
13 Sep 04
Yerevan, 13 September: The Armenian authorities' decision to send a 50-strong Armenian military unit to Iraq under the command of the Polish military contingent is premature and "simply selfish", the chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia and a National Assembly member from the Justice bloc, Aram Sarkisyan, has said in an interview with a Noyan Tapan correspondent.
He noted that his party roundly condemned this step and called on National Assembly members to vote down the Armenian authorities' agreement to send Armenian servicemen to Iraq.
"If our powers that be had explained to the USA on time that Armenia had a unique position with a large diaspora all over the world and in Arab countries in the first place, I think this would not have happened. Instead, the Armenian authorities are trying, as they believe, to win the USA round," Aram Sarkisyan said.
In the opinion of the Democratic Party leader, Armenian servicemen should be dispatched when stability is established and peaceful reconstruction starts in Iraq. It cannot be ruled out in the current situation, he believes, that Armenians will be taken hostage, and in this context, the blast at the major Christian church in Baghdad was kind of a signal.
Aram Sarkisyan expressed his perplexity over the fact that Armenian servicemen would be stationed in Iraq within the Polish contingent. "Poland is a NATO member, and our authorities have all of a sudden forgotten that Armenia is a member of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization. This decision is completely confusing from the point of view of political culture."
The Democratic Party chairman is confident that the decision to send Armenian servicemen to Iraq runs counter to the national interests. “While a country like Spain is withdrawing troops from Iraq, Armenia wants to be swept into this vortex."
The Democratic Party has issued a statement condemning this decision of the Armenian authorities. The statement calls on the Armenian public to take an active civic position on this issue.
Note: Aram Sarkisyan is NOT Vazgen's brother (Aram Zaveni Sarkisyan) but Aram Gaspar Sarkisyan who used to Kocharian's Presidential Advisor on Foreign Policy until he resigned.
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