NOW WE KNOW WHAT TO ASK CONDOLEEZZA RICE ONCE SHE IS IN YEREVAN
Azg/arm
28 July 05
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticized Damascus last Friday
for closing its border with Lebanon. Mrs. Rice was right indeed while
uttering, “Good neighbors don’t close their borders to their
neighbors”. In Lebanon’s case, this truth is more evident as 90
percent of its overland border is shared with Syria. Border with the
other neighbor — Israel in south — remains closed since 1948.
Lebanon’s greatest relief, Providence’s gift so to say, is the outlet
to the Mediterranean, which saved Lebanon from supply shortage during
15 years of inner wars.
Condoleezza Rice is expected to arrive in Armenia in the current
year. One may ask whether she will repeat her words about
good-neighborly relations in the context of Turkish-Armenian closed
border. For landlocked Armenia Turkey’s 12-year-long blockade is
harder to endure than for Lebanon the Syrian one. But such a surprise
from US State Secretary is scarcely to be witnessed. Turkey is no
Syria and Armenia is no Lebanon. Syria should have been criticized and
America did criticize whereas Turkey should be handled with care.
By Hakob Avetikian