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"THE EU CANNOT ACCEPT TURKEY"
[05:08 pm] 16 June, 2006

During the session the deputies used their right of
briefings for the last time.The factions of the United
Labor Party, the Orinats Yerkir Party and the People’s
Deputy obviously had nothing to tell the journalsits
as they were absent from the briefings.

Hrayr Karapetyan, the head of the ARF faction,
referred to the recent announcements about the
necessity of the cessation of the negotiations of the
membership of Turkey in the UN and said that the
diplomatic relations of Turkey and Armenia must not be
conditioned by the relations with a third country; and
that’s what Turkey does every time the relations
between the two countries are referred to.

According to Artashes Geghamyan, the head of the
National Unity, Europe cannot accept the membership of
Turkey. He reminded that the inflation rate exceeded
the established threshold in Lithuania by 0.1% only
and the EU does not allow Lithuania to enter the EURO
zone. "Taking into account the present situation when
the EU has not come to its senses yet after the
membership of Romania and Bulgaria, all the other
conversations are a waste of time".

By the way, Mr. Geghamyan found the decision of the US
Senate about not supporting the construction of the
railway Kars-Akhalqalaq-Tbilisi-Baku extremely
important. He said that it can contribute to the
regulation of the relations between Armenia and
Turkey.

Head of the Justice faction Stepan Demirchyan said
that we must have friendly relations with our
neighbors but never at the expense of our national
dignity.

The deputies also referred to the xenophobic
sentiments in Russia and the cases of murder of
Armenians. Stepan Demirchyan announced that we must
not stand the situation and that the RA authorities
must raise the issue.

According to Artashes Geghamyan, they would have done
it long ago if it weren’t for the statistic data
brought by the Russian authorities – 2396 people have
committed suicide in Armenia for the last five years.
Who is guilty for it? "And if the murder of three
Armenians for the last month gives us a chance to say
that Russia is not our friend, then we can note that
the authorities of our own country are our enemies",
Artashes Geghamyan said.

The deputies were also worried about the exchange rate
of the Armenian dram. "The dollar inflation is
definitely artificial: how come the fuel becomes more
expensive and the dollar becomes cheaper?" Hrayr
Karapetyan announced. And Stepan Demirchyan announced
that the dollar inflation contributes to the enhancing
of poverty and not vice versa, as some claim.