“TURKISH BORDERS WITH ITS NEIGHBORS SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED”

Armenia Suffers Losses Amounting to $1 Billion

Azg/arm
14 Dec 04

“The Turkish Foreign Policy should keep in line with the policy
conducted by Brussels. This means that the Turkish borders with its
old neighbors shouldn’t be closed,” Vartan Oskanian stated in the
interview to Reuters, emphasizing that in the course of the last 10-15
years Armenia suffered losses amounting to $1 billion, as a result of
the closed borders.

“The membership to the EU should contribute to the formation of a more
open society in Turkey that will open the border-gates with Armenia
and will recognize the Armenian Genocide”, Freedom radio station
quoted Vartan Oskanian as saying.

“Armenia would like the issue of opening the borders be touched upon
at the EU more consequently, loudly, even aggressively, as it is an
important issue for the EU, as well,” Oskanian said, touching upon the
December 17 decisionto begin the negotiations around Turkey’s
membership to the EU.

Oskanian said that the opening of the Armenian-Turkish borders
achieved under the pressure of the EU member countries could
contribute to the development of trade, support the Eastern poor
regions of Turkey and the economic development of Armenia. Reminding
that Armenia together with Georgia and Azerbaijan was included in
“Enlarged Europe. New Neighbors,” program, Oskanian said: “If Turkey
doesn’t want to meet the commitments it undertook and use the created
opportunity, the whole program is not in time, at least for Armenia.”

As for the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Oskanian said that
he is optimistic in the issue of establishing peace with Azerbaijan in
this complicated period, when Ilham Aliyev came to power after the
death of Heydar Aliyev who led Azerbaijan for many years.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress