AZG Armenian Daily #190, 06/10/2006
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TRAIAN BASESCU: HISTORY IS FOR BOOKS ONLY
"We’ll not do anything affecting our neutrality on the Black Sea in
our relations with all countries of the Black Sea," Traian Basescu,
president of Romania, stated yesterday at the meeting with students
of the Yerevan State University while answering a question whether
Romania is going to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
Basescu is sure that history and historic disputes should be
kept in the books and in the peoples’ memory but not put it as a
precondition for the future. In his opinion, the main criterion on
the path of joining the EU and NATO should be friendly relations with
neighbors. "Historical disputes should not be transferred to the EU
or NATO," he said.
The Romanian president presented to the students his country’s history
of the last decade, inner political developments and the road of
European integration. By the end of the meeting, rector of YSU Aram
Simonian awarded Mr. Basescu a diploma of emeritus doctor of YSU,
a gilded medal and expressed hope that the president’s visit will
spur further development of Armenian-Romanian relations.
Yesterday, the Romanian president also visited Yerevan Brandy Factory
where following the tradition he left his signature on the oak barrel
of peace that was seperated in 1994 on occasion of cease-fire in
Nagorno Karabkh war. Afterwards, he received a 400-liter barrel of
brandy as a gift.
By Tamar Minasian and Aghavni Harutyunian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
