AZG Armenian Daily #082, 06/05/2005

Armenia-Turkey

WASHINGTON TO DEMAND TURKEY TO OPEN BORDER WITH ARMENIA

White House Pleased with Erdogan-Kocharian Correspondence

According to Turkish Zaman newspaper, the US Undersecretary of the State
Department responsible for European and Eurasian affairs Laura Kennedy
demanded during a press conference in Ankara that Turkey opens its border
with Armenia. Kennedy labeled the process between Turkey and Armenia
“hopeful” and evaluated the possible meeting of Erdogan and Kocharian in
Warsaw as a “wonderful thing”.

“The US considers promising that Armenian and Turkish authorities exchange
opinions and supports reconstruction of friendly relations”, Kennedy stated
during a meeting with Turkish officials.

During her two-day stay, Laura Kennedy met with the secretary general of
National Security Council of Turkey, vice-spokesperson of Foreign Ministry
and other officials.

Referring to Associated Press, Radio Liberty quoted Kennedy as saying, “The
White House is pleased with the fact of recent exchange of correspondence
between Turkish Prime Minister and Armenian President on genocide-related
issues and called on unifying their suggestions”.

In his letter Robert Kocharian on April 10, Erdogan suggested setting a
group of historians “that would study archives not only of Armenia and
Turkey but those of related third states and will inform the international
community about the results”. Armenian President said in his reply letter
that “we have no right to authorize historians with the task” and suggested
“to establish natural relations between the two state without
preconditions”.

“Why won’t they do both things simultaneously? We are hopeful that this
process will continue. The White House is interested in intergovernmental
relations between Armenia and Turkey and in the issue of reconciliation”,
Laura Kennedy said in Ankara.

Referring to diplomatic sources, Zaman and Radikal notified earlier that
Kocharian and Erdogan are likely to meet in Warsaw during EC Summit on May
16-17. Official Yerevan states that “there is no such meeting scheduled so
far”.

By Tatoul Hakobian