Joint press conference of the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and the President of the Swiss Confederation Micheline Calmy-Rey

The question is for the two Presidents: How would you comment on the proclamations of Azerbaijan’s State Aviation Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a number of other structures that they will destroy any aircraft which will attempt to land at the airport of Stepanakert. Incidentally, the proclamations have been made regarding the resumption of Yerevan-Stepanakert flights.

Serzh Sargsyan: The people of Nagorno Karabakh have every right to use air transportation services – this is incontestable. It is also incontestable that the authorities of Nagorno Karabakh as well as the authorities of Armenia should coordinate the issue with the appropriate bodies, and I am confident the process will have a positive outcome. As for these proclamations, there have been lots of them in modern history. However, there is a “but”. Such statements have always been made by terrorist organizations, no state has ever made such a statement. When a state makes such a statement, it’s a marasmus, proclamations of a sick person. Tardy, past things. When a state declares that it is going to destroy an aircraft, what’s that suppose to mean? No need to comment on such a statement, however I can make my own statement: I, the President of the Republic of Armenia, will be the first passenger on that flight.

Micheline Calmy-Rey: Since the question has been addressed also to me, I would like to say that we, certainly, follow the events and, in general, situation related to Nagorno Karabakh with great interest. There is no doubt that the conflict will be solved in the framework of the Minsk Group. Even though we are not active members of the Group, I still want to note that recently I have visited Azerbaijan and met with President Aliev. I have spoke with him also about the forthcoming meeting with President Sargsyan.

One question for each President. Mrs. Calmy-Rey, after the Armenian-Turkish relations came to a standoff, you have urged the parties to initiate new steps towards the normalization. Could you please specify if You’re going to continue with th mediation efforts, or have, so to speak, “washed your hands”? And a question to the President of Armenia – another anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is approaching: What Armenia expects to hear in the annual address by the President of the United States? Will President Barack Obama this year use the word Genocide, or will refrain from using it with the excuse that it may harm the Armenian-Turkish relations?

Micheline Calmy-Rey: It should be noted that the Swiss mediation ended in October, 2009 with the signing of the Protocols. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t say that we “have washed our hands” and remain indifferent to what’s going on or rather not going on between Armenia and Turkey. Switzerland wants the process of ratification of the Protocols to resume and we stand ready to do anything that could encourage both sides to do it.

Serzh Sargsyan: If you ask what we want, then naturally, we have always wanted for the President of the United State to provide in the annual address a clear-cut judgment and definitely to utter the word Genocide. I have expressed my opinion on that on many occasions and can say now that in one’s time, I personally asked the President of the United States to say the word. However, wishes and reality are two different things, and the best thing is when your wishes and the reality coincide. Let’s hope that this time it will be just like that. But if it’s not the case, we have no reason to despair and will continue to struggle to get there. I would suggest that your editorial staff, a very influential periodical, plays its role in the process.