Your evaluation of «democratic progress» in Armenia is an insult to those citizens of the Republic of Armenia who are being persecuted needlessly and unlawfully. Ashotyan’s open letter to EU ambassador

To Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia
Mrs. Andrew Wiktorin

Distinguished Mrs. Ambassador,

I hope you are doing well during the coronavirus situation in Armenia.

The reason for my open letter is the remarks you recently made during a news conference on a radio station. I listened very attentively because I attach importance to the consistent strengthening of relations between Armenia and the European Union (EU) and because I have made and continue to make my modest contributions to the strengthening of those relations.

With the delegation of our political party (Republican Party of Armenia), we had the honor of meeting with you before the state of emergency and sharing our views on the situation created in the country, the political persecutions, the decline of democracy and other problems. After all this, your evaluation of ‘democratic progress’ in Armenia is problematic compared with the reality in the country and is an insult to the CITIZENS of the Republic of Armenia who are being persecuted needlessly and unlawfully. I regret to state that such bias also causes great harm to the trust in the political institutions of the European Union in Armenia and to the democratic image of the European Union, and it may incite a critical discourse that will cause harm to the relations between Armenia and the European Union.

Thus, the several evaluations that you gave publicly compel me to express my opinion publicly as well.

Decisions posing a threat to fundamental human rights and freedoms have been visible in the actions that the incumbent Armenian authorities are taking during the state of emergency, and the international community has responded to those decisions. In particular, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, the Reporters Without Borders organization, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and others have touched upon the problems related to the groundless restrictions on media activity and the inviolability of private life of citizens, and the BBC included Armenia in the list of countries that have taken authoritarian actions in the context of the fight against the coronavirus. Surprisingly, you did not mention these realities in your evaluation. I don’t know if this was your lack of awareness of these realities, or your biased approaches to the problems that have existed in Armenia since April 2018.

What is more surprising is the indifference of the OSCE Representative towards these developments, taking into consideration the fact that similar developments in certain EU member states are in the center of attention and criticism of the EU leadership. Do such double standards really create favorable conditions for the strengthening of democracy and the strengthening of confidence in the bilateral relations?

I strictly doubt it, to say the least.

The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, which is the cornerstone of the EU-Armenia relations, is one of the ‘sons’ of Armenia’s foreign policy, and we are heartfelt towards and interested in full ratification and implementation of the Agreement. Mrs. Ambassador, talking about the implementation of the Agreement in this stage, did you really provide full-fledged and complete information to the Armenian public about the several problems with implementation and the tardiness, the main reason for which is the low level of professionalism and lack of political will of several representatives of the Armenian government? Is this truly the issue that needs to be consistently viewed through ‘rose-colored glasses’ and not talk about the several delays and underperformance in this stage? Will failure to provide the Armenian public with transparent and complete information contribute to full implementation of the Agreement and to introduction of the institution of accountability in Armenia?

I strictly doubt it, to say the least.

In the relations with the EU, importance has always been attached to the launch of the visa liberalization dialogue. However, the document that the Council of Europe recently published clearly showed that the EU has not changed its approaches and formulations regarding this issue ever since the resolution was adopted during the Eastern Partnership Summit in November 2017. Does this problem really only concern certain EU member states? You and I know very well that, if there was strong political will, this issue could have been solved and progress could have finally been made in regard to the issue that interests and concerns the Armenian public so much. What is the reason for the lack of political will? Perhaps the problem is first and foremost the insufficient efforts and consistency of the incumbent Armenian authorities.

If yes, why don’t you talk about this?

I will not touch upon your statements on the Armenian Genocide because my colleagues have already expressed their bewilderment. I will only reiterate the following: How would you explain the fact that before 2020 your organization would refer to those events as “Armenian Genocide” and now your organization refers to them as “Great Catastrophe” in the condolence message addressed to the Armenian people? If I am not mistaken, you are authorized to express the official viewpoint of the EU, not the US administration, and according to the official viewpoint of the EU, the events of 1915 have been recognized as genocide several times.

Distinguished Mrs. Ambassador,

I can continue to list the problems, but I will stop with this for now. The official Brussels receives information about the situation in Armenia through different channels, and I really want your delegation to be the main provider of that impartial and complete information. After all, your delegation is the official institution of the EU in a friendly country, not the lobbyist for the interests of the authoritarian and populist authorities of Armenia in Brussels.

Governments are transient, the real mission of Armenia and the EU is to make the fruits of the strengthening of interstate relations and the EU-Armenia cooperation accessible and tangible for all of our citizens. Thus, instead of the momentary and fragmentary political interests, it is important to return to the origins of politics that is based on a value system.

I am certain that you will receive my letter, and I thank you for reading it. As a real and consistent advocate for the strengthening of Armenia-EU relations, I am certain that the current political conjuncture, with its negative shades and political preferences that are being manifested, must not undermine this process, but it may harm it. Thus, if necessary, I am ready to talk to you about the issues I listed in my letter and additional issues during our next possible meeting.

I wish you and your personnel health. Be safe.

Sincerely,

Armen Ashotyan

Vice-President of the Republican Party of Armenia

Former Co-Chair of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee

Former head of the Armenian Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly