EU-ARMENIA RELATIONS TO GRADUALLY BECOME CLOSER, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE IS SURE

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 29 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The European Union-Armenia
relations will gradually develop, and like the Armenian-French
relations, they will become closer. But one must not avoid regular
succession of stages. President of France Jacques Chirac expressed
this confidence in the September 28 interview to the "Hayastani
Hanrapetoutiun" (Republic of Armenia) newspaper. In his words,
the Armenia-European Union relations are still new ones. "But it
is the first stage. Nearest end of the negotiations on the European
Union-Armenia actions plan must give possibility to pass its whole
volume to the neighborhood policy," the President of France said.

As for Turkey’s membership to the European Union, Jacques Chirac
expressed an opinion that this prospect is an important element to
keep Turkey on the way tiing to the West, choice of which it made.

"The membership itself supposes implementation of standards, fostering
of reforms. It is a demanding, long and difficult way. I am sure
it arisis of interests of both European Union and Armenia to see
Turkey striving for our values, our perception of the human rights,
peace, democracy," he emphasized. Responding the question if France
will insist on opening the borders with Armenia and recognizing the
Armenian Genocide, J.Chirac said that he had spoken for opening the
borders many times at meetings with the Turkish authorities. "But it
is clear that this issue is very strongly connected with the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement, and that the settlement progress may
have a decisive influence on this issue," he mentioned, expressing
an opinion that it is possible today.

"As for the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottaman Empire,
Europe is an effort for reconciliation, peace, respect and being open
towards others, which always and everywhere is turned into an effort
of memory," the President of France emphasized, adding that if even
it is a long and difficult process, he trusts Turkey’s possibility
"to bring to end this duty of memory as the soul of creating Europe
is just this."