ARMENIAN FM OPTIMISTIC ABOUT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REPORT ON TURKEY

Armenpress
Sept 29 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign minister Vartan
Oskanian described the European Parliament’s September 27 highly
critical report on Turkey and its progress on EU membership talks as
‘positive’, although it has dropped a suggestion that Ankara must
recognize the Armenian genocide before it can join the bloc.

Back from New York where he took the UN rostrum to back the
right of people of Nagorno- Karabakh to exercise their right to
self-determination, Oskanian told reporters today in Yerevan that
the report’s positive political consequences will be felt in future.

Oskanian regretted over the drop of the genocide suggestion saying
it would have been an ideal report, in terms of Armenia’s interests,
had the genocide clause been retained. But he argued that this will not
have a negative impact on the report’s value because it asks Turkey to
lift its transport blockade of Armenia and normalize relations with it.

Oskanian singled out a paragraph of the report which says that though
the recognition of the Armenian genocide is not a Copenhagen criterion
for Turkey’s EU accession, however, a country striving to join the
EU must accept its past. Oskanian said it was a remarkable wording,
which can be considered as a precondition.

Concerning elimination of the transport blockade and establishment of
diplomatic relations with Armenia, Oskanian said the report is very
clear about these two issues demanding that Turkey lifts the blockade
and normalize relations with Yerevan without any preconditions.