YEREVAN. – Armenia’s opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party demands not to sign any document which would put under doubt the legality of former US President Woodrow Wilson’s Arbitral Award of 1920, states the Party pre-election program—for the upcoming National Assembly elections—which was formally introduced on Monday.
President Wilson’s Arbitral Award—which was not put into force—included several areas of Western Armenia in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, thereby the latter’s total area was brought up to 104 thousand km2, instead of the present-day 30 thousand km2.
According to the ARF’s program, the mutual concessions to be carried out with Azerbaijan—and with respect to the Karabakh conflict—shall not be inconsistent with the results of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s (NKR) independence referendum of 1991 and the NKR Constitution. These concessions must be equivalent to Azerbaijan’s concessions. Karabakh must become a negotiating side with equal rights, and Armenia must become the guarantor of its security.
In Armenia’s relations with Turkey, as per the ARF, the Armenian people’s interests and principles must be taken into account to the utmost. It is suggested to carry out lively activities toward the passage of bills that criminalize the Armenian Genocide’s denial.
Also, Armenia’s signature under the Armenian-Turkish protocols must be withdrawn.
It is necessary to speak from the precepts of lifting—and without any preconditions—Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s land blockade of Armenia.
In good neighborly relations with Georgia, the importance of securing the Georgian Armenians’ rights and potentials—specifically in the country’s Armenian-populated region of Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk)—is underscored.
There is another important matter in regards to Armenia’s relations with Azerbaijan, and that is Nakhichevan. The latter likewise is envisioned to be kept at the focus of attention.
“Since Nakhichevan was annexed to Azerbaijan, the clear awareness of its [Nakhichevan’s] Armenian belonging must be kept among the society,” the ARF Dashnaktsutyun’s pre-election program also states.
By Sona Barseghyan
