HAMLET GASPARIAN DOESN’T DENY RUMORS ABOUT ARMENIAN-TURKISH NEGOTIAIONS, BUT REFUTES DETAILS ANNOUNCED BY TURKISH MEDIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 07 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. There have been and
will be contacts between the Minitries of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
and Turkey.

Hamlet Gasparian, Spokesman of the RA Mnistry of Foreign Affairs,
announced this at the request of the Noyan Tapan correspondent
commenting on the information published in the Turkish periodical
“The New Anatolian” over the resumption of the Armenian-Turkish closed
negotiations. According to him, the contacts are continuing today,
the Armenian-Turkish relations are being discussed.

The Turkish periodical referring to the diplomatic sources also
reported that the negotiations are being held around three issues:
the recognition of current Armenian-Turkish borders, lifting of the
blockade of the border and the Armenian Genocide.

According to the Turkish periodical, Ankara announced that the issue
of lifting the blockade of the border will be discussed in case
when “the Armenian side withdraws its troops from the 4 Azerbaijani
occupied regions”.

In the connection of the third issue, the Turkish sources announced
that the Armenian side suggested forming a committee consisting of the
parliamentarians of the two countries, in the subcommittee of which
a group of historians will also be included. The Turkish side treated
this suggestion with retaining. But the sides came to an agreement in
order to involve scientists of Turkey, Armenia and Armenian Diaspora
in the subcommittee.

Hamlet Gasparian refuted the above mentioned information, mentioning
that “the details of the publication doesn’t correspond to reality”.