EU GOING TO NORMALIZE ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

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03-03-2005

It is not clear yet when the European Commission will establish an
embassy in the Republic of Armenia, European Commission Delegation in
Georgia and Armenia Charge d’Affaires Mr. Jacques Vantom stated during
today’s press conference held in the EU Yerevan Office.

`The approach of the Eurocommission is as follows: an Ambassador, who
will assume the office in the states of the region, will be
appointed’, Mr.Vantom said and added that `in future European
Commission will possibly establish an embassy in Armenia’.

When commenting on the role of the EU in the Armenian-Turkish
relations Mr. Vantom said that the normalizing of the
Turkish-Armenian relations is marked in the EU reports as an
obligation.

He also noted that the EU-Turkey relations should be perceived in a
wide context and assured that `it could be useful for Armenia’.

When answering the question how Azerbaijan and Armenia could
simultaneously become members of EU New Neighborhood policy with the
hostilities available between the nations Mr. Vantom said that `the EU
proposed assistance to the OSCE Minsk Group on this issue’.

As for the EU’s intentions to stop the work of the Armenian NPP
Mr.Vantom reiterated that the EU is ready to allocate 100 million
euros for suspension of the NPP functioning and finding alternative
energy sources.