BARROSO SEPARATES ADHESION FROM TURKEY OF THE QUESTION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
ArmRadio.am
05.09.2006 16:58
The president of the European Commission, Jose-Manuel Barroso, refused
Monday to force Turkey to recognize the Armenian genocide before
his possible adhesion with European Union. "This kind of examination
must be voluntary. It cannot be imposed," declared Monday the owner
of European executive. "One should not pose that like an additional
condition," insisted Manuel Barroso by underlining the "difficulty"
and "time" necessary to the control of this kind of debate. "How
long the catholic church did put to recognize the reality of the
enquiry? How long the colonial powers did they put to recognize the
colonial crimes?" he pled.
Jose-Manuel Barroso rejected any purely geographical definition of
the Union. "There is no geographical consensus on the borders of the
Union. Let us seek a political consensus rather, because is with us
to decide ", but" one should not say ‘ no’ to these countries which
testify to a will of Europe," he noted.
For the president of European executive, European Union must accept
all the countries which fill the criteria fixed at their adhesion
"and which represents a step ahead, an added value, for European
integration", he concluded, while admitting that the question of the
accession of Turkey was one "of most difficult at the present time in
Europe." An accession of Turkey to the European Union would make it
possible, according to him, to avoid importing instability into Europe.