EU-Turkish official: EU plans initiatives to bring Turkey-Armenia
together

Anatolia news agency, Ankara
17 Jun 05

Hopa, 17 June: “We have some ideas to bring Armenia and Turkey
closer. We plan several initiatives (regarding this rapprochement) in
coming months,” Joost Lagendijk, the co-chairman of the Turkey-European
Union (EU) Joint Parliament Commission, said on Friday [17 June].

Visiting Mayor Yilmaz Topaloglu of Hopa town in northeastern city
of Artvin, Lagendijk said that it was important for him to closely
monitor Turkey’s situation and learn what (Turkish) people were
thinking about the EU.

Lagendijk noted that he would visit (eastern city of) Kars after
Artvin, and recalled that Kars was a city situated at Turkey’s border
with Armenia.

Stating that he would not visit Armenia this time, Lagendijk said that
they aimed to launch some initiatives to improve peace and dialogue
in this region and open the border (between Turkey and Armenia).

Lagendijk hoped that he could cross to Armenia next time he visited
this region (Kars and vicinity).