Armenia should not look for outside solutions to its problems; former ambassador says

YEREVAN, September 27. / ARKA /. Armenia should itself look for solutions to its problems instead of seeking outside help, former U.S. ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, said today during a discussion in Yerevan organized by Civiliats Fund to mark the 20-th anniversary of Armenia.

He said when Armenia finds these solutions, it will get the support of the world community. He said the South Caucasus is a volatile region and everyone understands that its problems are not easily solved, however, the region has huge potential.

He said the peoples in the South Caucasus tend to look for outside forces to solve their internal problems. According to him, it is a very serious problem, a relic of the former Soviet Union when two of its constituent republics sought Moscow’s help to solve their problems.

According to him, many people here think that the U.S. can tell Turkey to do this or that, but it is not so, and Yerevan must itself establish relations with Ankara. Evans said the first step towards the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations should be the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

He said establishment of diplomatic relations is often misunderstood even in his country. He said it does not imply friendship. States should recognize each other, know who they are dealing with. He said Greece and Turkey or Japan and Russia have diplomatic relations despite having serious territorial disputes.

Germany’s ambassador, Hans-Jochen Schmidt, said the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will positively affect not only the development of the conflicting sides, but also the whole region.

"The EU is trying to cooperate with the South Caucasus, but, unfortunately, no significant economic results have been achieved so far," he said.

The Civilitas Foundation Fund was established in 2008 by former Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian.  -0-