Armenian premier favours ties with Turkey without pre-conditions

Hayots Ashkharh, Yerevan
3 Jul 04 p 1

Text of unattributed report by Armenian newspaper Hayots Ashkharh on 3
July headlined “Without pre-conditions”

“The Republican Party of Armenia has expressed its position saying
that Armenia and Turkey should regulate their relations without
pre-conditions and establish diplomatic relations,” Prime Minister
Andranik Markaryan said yesterday asked about his assessment of a
statement by Armen Rustamyan [a member of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun] that the Dashnaks have certain reservations
about [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan’s speech in the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE] concerning
Turkey.

According to Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan, unfortunately Turkey
has not yet replied to the suggestion to improve relations with
Armenia without such pre-conditions as the Armenian genocide and the
Karabakh issue. He pointed out: “We have adopted our position on the
Karabakh issue together with the president since 1998 and continue to
stick to that. Naturally, what he said in his address to PACE is
acceptable to us.”