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: APRIL 6-12, 2005

Aiming for recognition, not territorial claims

On April 11 Armenian President Robert Kocharyan stated that “official Yerevan has never raised the issue of territorial claims against Turkey”.

“The issue of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is on our agenda today. Future Armenian leaders and politicians will decide what legal consequences it may have,” said Kocharyan.

“Don’t get worked up”

On the same day Robert Kocharyan urged the opposition not to “get worked up” because of the failure to make a revolution like the ones in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan.

“They failed not because they did not work hard enough for it, but because our country is better and the authorities work more effectively,” he noted.

According to Kocharyan, the events in “Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan should be seriously analyzed, since despite their seeming similarity they differed both by their content and by the cultural atmosphere in which they happened”.

Robert Kocharyan on April 11, 2005

Photo: Photolure

He also stated that “all these revolutions took place during elections” and “the weakness of the authorities was obvious”.

“In Georgia, for instance, people did not receive pensions for years and had energy only 3 hours a day. The economic situation in Kyrgyzstan was similar: the country’s state budget for 2004 was smaller than for 2003. In all three countries, a change of generations took place - younger and more dynamic leaders replaced the Soviet-times leaders. Such change of generations took place twice in Armenia: in 1991 and 1998,” said Kocharyan.

•    10 YEARS AGO: APRIL 6-12, 2010

Erdogan’s special envoy arrives in Yerevan

Special envoy of Turkish Prime Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu arrived in Yerevan on April 7.

The envoy passed the written message of the Turkish Prime Minister and the verbal messages of the President and the Foreign Minister of Turkey to the Armenian President.

Feridun Sinirlioglu

 

In particular, Turkish Prime Minister suggested a bilateral meeting with the Armenian President on the margins of the nuclear security summit in Washington.

The meeting with Erdogan

On April 12, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan in Washington.

Following the meeting, the sides refused to comment and communicate with media.

“Our stance remains unchanged: Turkey cannot speak to Armenia and Armenians in the language of preconditions, we will simply not allow that,” Serzh Sargsyan said at the ceremony of placing a wreath to the grave of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, which took place right after competition of the meeting with Erdogan.

Serzh Sargsyan and Recep Erdogan in Washington D.C.

Photo: Armenian President’s press service

“The decisions of various countries’ parliaments [on recognition of the Armenian Genocide] do not benefit Armenia,” Erdogan said an hour later, speaking at the opening of Vural Ali Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies at George Mason University.

“We deny accusations of Genocide concerning the events of 1915 and deny unfair and unilateral decisions of parliaments. We believe that history should be studied and assessed by historians, and not by parliaments. We have stated readiness to open our archives and urged other countries to do the same,” he added.

•    5 YEARS AGO: APRIL 6-12, 2015

“Disintegration of Prosperous Armenia reinforced the political monopoly”

On April 8 Former President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan stated that “Armenia's current problems have nothing to do with the Constitution, and moreover, with the current state governance system”.

“One can fail or manage to govern a country both from the cabinets of a President and Prime Minister. There are good and bad examples of functioning of presidential and parliamentary models in the world. It's naive to suppose that the parliamentary model will automatically lead to democratic and competitive party environment. It will more likely reinforce the phenomenon of patronage which is speeding up and is one of the misfortunes of Armenia”, he added.

Commenting on the developments around Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), Robert Kocharyan said:

“The disintegration of PAP, of course, made life easier for the authorities. However, it reinforced the political monopoly in the country either leaving the problems unchanged or even aggravating them.”

The Kardashian sisters visit Armenia

On April 9 Prime Minister of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan received the members of the Kardashian family.

Kim and Chloe Kardashian at the meeting with Hovik Abrahamyan

Photo: Armenian Government’s press service

“Welcoming the guests in the Armenian government, the PM highlighted the input of the Kardashian family in the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide as well as their visit to Armenia ahead of the Armenian Genocide Centennial. Hovik Abrahamyan stressed that neither the Kardashian family, nor Armenians around the world forget about their roots and that their visits to their historic motherland make Armenia more known in the world,” the government’s press service said in a statement.

The liturgy in Vatican

On April 12 Pope Francis served Sacred Liturgy dedicated to the Armenian Genocide Centennial at the Saint Peter’s Basilica.

The liturgy was attended by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Catholicos Karekin II.

Commenting on the Pope’s speech, Professor of Armenian studies at the University of Oxford Theo van Lint highlighted the pontiff’s decision to bracket the mass killing of Armenians with the crimes perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism.

Pope Francis and Catholicos Karekin II at the Saint Peter’s Basilica

Photo: REUTERS

The official Ankara immediately criticized the Pope’s statement. “The Pope's statement, which is out of touch with both historical facts and legal basis, is simply unacceptable,” tweeted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

After the statement of Pope Francis, Turkey recalled its Ambassador from Vatican.

Ara Tadevosyan