March 30, 2012 - 14:27 AMT
ARFD member: Armenia faces foreign challenges enough for a superpower

Armen Rustamyan, member of ARF Dashnaktsutyun’s Supreme Body said even international structures are unable to solve problems that Armenia faces.

“Armenia faces foreign challenges enough for one of superpowers: recognition of Armenian Genocide, relations between Armenia and Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Iran issue, to name but a few,” he said at Dashnaktsutyun’s Hai Dat Committee 4th forum in Yerevan .

Rustamyan emphasized that Armenians must take policy-making into their hands, and never miss a chance to promote their interests.

According to him, the authorities are actively developing the foreign policy concept, while Hai Dat’s ideology perfectly fits to serve as its basis. Hai Dat activities comprise both public and parliamentary diplomacy, he said.

The foreign policy program must be based on common ideology, and Hai Dat committees’ underlying ideology unites more than anything else, Rustamyan added.

Another important aspect which is worth focusing on is the development of common principles with regard to such issues as the Genocide, Karabakh and Armenian-Turkish relations, Dashnaktsutyun’s representative said.

“We must protect these theses, coordinate [our efforts] on all platforms. We must demand what we can ground our rights upon,” Rustamyan claimed.

Foreign policy strategy must be developed on the general ideological basis of the Armenian people which is exactly what guides the Hai Dat, he concluded.