Arman Tatoyan: Armenia's path to Europe must begin at home

Armenia's journey toward European integration must start in Yerevan with respect for sovereignty, democracy and commitments, former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said, stressing that Europe does not admit “petitioners” but states that respect themselves and their citizens.

In a statement on Friday, Tatoyan, a member of the Wings of Unity initiative, outlined four principles he said are essential for Armenia’s European course:

1) Territorial integrity: Armenia’s internationally recognized borders must be respected and foreign troops withdrawn.

2) Right of return and compensation: More than 100,000 Armenians displaced from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) must be guaranteed return and fair compensation.

3) Democracy and freedoms: Integration is incompatible with authoritarianism, restrictions on the church, or persecution of political opponents. Free speech, judicial independence, minority rights and religious autonomy must be protected.

4) Respect for agreements: Armenia must honor all treaties and commitments until they are renegotiated legitimately, avoiding unilateral breaches.

“These four lines are not obstacles to peace and integration, but conditions for making them sustainable,” Tatoyan wrote. “Peace built on concessions without guarantees is not peace, but a postponed conflict. Integration without internal standards is not integration, but a change of patron.”

“The path to Europe starts not in Strasbourg or Brussels, but in Yerevan," he concluded.