Today we live in a society, which can not imagine life without expressing views on social media. Probably it does have certain advantages. Nevertheless, many participants of active discussions have already forgotten or do not even know about the developments, which unfolded in Armenia 5, 10 or 15 years ago.  

To fill the gap Mediamax presents 5/10/15 project, which introduce developments in Armenia 5, 10 and 15 years ago.

•    15 YEARS AGO: OCTOBER 7-13, 2004

“Karabakh is invaluable”

“Nagorno-Karabakh is invaluable,” Foreign Minister of Armenia Vardan Oskanyan stated on 11 October.

“If anybody doubts these words, I pity that person. Today Nagorno-Karabakh is Armenia and Karabakh is invaluable, the same as Lake Sevan, Tavush, Meghri and every meter of Armenian soil,” he said.

According to him, the Armenian side was still strongly convinced that the package settlement of the Karabakh problem did not have alternatives. He noted that “certain flexibility can be displayed in the order of implementing different tasks of the package”.

•    10 YEARS AGO: OCTOBER 7-13,  2009

Address to the nation

On 10 October President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan addressed the Armenian people in connection with the signing of Armenian-Turkish protocols in Zurich.

Commenting on the concern of a range of political forces and Diaspora representatives as to certain items of the protocols, Sargsyan stated the following:

“1. No relations with Turkey can cast doubt on the facts of the Armenian Genocide and depravation of the Armenian people of their homeland. This is a well-known fact, which should be recognized and condemned by the entire progressive mankind. The corresponding subcommittee of the intergovernmental committee is not a committee of historians;

2. The issue of existing borders between Armenia and Turkey is subject to solution in accordance with the prevalent international law. Nothing beyond that is stated in the protocols;

3. These relations are by no means related and cannot be related to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, which is a separate and independent process. Armenia does not consider the issues of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders, registered in protocols, as having any relation to Nagorno-Karabakh problem;

4. Delay in ratification of protocols by Turkey or imposition of possible new conditions for ratification will receive the adequate response from the Armenian side. By these protocols, Armenia does not undertake unilateral commitments, and if Turkey does not ratify the signed protocols in a reasonable, does not fulfill all their items after that or violates them in the future, Armenia will immediately take the corresponding adequate steps in accordance with the international law.”

After signing the protocols

Photo: REUTERS

Signing of the protocols

On 10 October Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Turkey Edward Nalbandian and Ahmet Davutoglu signed the “Protocol on establishing diplomatic relations” and the “Protocol on developing bilateral relations” in Zurich.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Foreign Ministers of Russia and France Sergey Lavrov and Bernard Couchener and High Representative of EU for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana were present at the signing ceremony.

The ceremony began several hours late. Spokesperson for Armenian MFA Tigran Balayan said that the delay was caused by certain wording in the verbal statement of Turkish Foreign Minister, which the Armenian side found unacceptable.

Edward Nalbandian and Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009 in Zurich

Photo: REUTERS

“The draft statement of the Turkish minister contained certain wording that the Armenian side found unacceptable. It was decided during the negotiations that the sides will refrain from statements,” he added. Deputy Chief of Presidential Staff Vigen Sargsyan told in the interview to Armenian Public TV Channel that the draft statement had points which “contradicted the spirit of the protocols and the logic of negotiations in general”.

•    5 YEARS AGO: OCTOBER 7-13, 2014

Tsarukyan is “ready”

On 9 October Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan said he would agree if his partners nominated him for the upcoming presidential elections.

“As of today, I see four or five people who deserve the nomination. But if my partners nominate me, I will agree,” said Tsarukyan.

Gagik Tsarukyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan during a rally in Yerevan on October 10, 2014

Photo: Photolure

While addressing the rally in the center of Yerevan, which was co-organized by Prosperous Armenia, Armenian National Congress and Heritage Party on October 10, Tsarukyan noted he was “proud to stand with the people”.

“Historic document”

On 10 October President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in Minsk that the “historic document” on Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union “will give a start to a new phase of integration into the Eurasian space”.

He made that remark while addressing the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.

“I am convinced this historic document will give a start to a new phase of integration into the Eurasian space. We are well-aware of the special responsibility we are assuming by being the first to join the Agreement. I believe our joint efforts will enable us to effectively carry out the process of Armenia’s membership by minimizing the risks for our country and maximizing the overall gain,” said Serzh Sargsyan.

The beginning of UWC Dilijan

On October 11, the international boarding school UWC Dilijan College officially opened in Armenia. It was the first academic institution in Eastern Europe and the CIS to join the United World Colleges network (UWC).

Veronika Zonabend and Ruben Vardanyan at the UWC Dilijan College opening ceremony

Photo: Photolure

“UWC Dilijan College is a philanthropic project of tremendous magnitude. The needs-blind student selection process provides all candidates with equal opportunities and allows for the bringing together of young people who think differently, representing different cultures and possessing vibrant personalities,” said Chair of the Board of Governors of UWC Dilijan College, Co-Founder of RVVZ Foundation Veronika Zonabend. “And the fact that parents from 50 countries have sent their children to study in a new school in Armenia is the best testimony to trust in us and our initiative”, she added.

Ara Tadevosyan