FRENCH AMBASSADOR: REGIONAL SITUATION IS NOT VERY MUCH FAVORABLE FOR ARMENIA

ARMINFO News Agency
October 19, 2006 Thursday

Armenia is geographic crossroads, French Ambassador to Armenia
Henry Cuny said today during a meeting with students of Yerevan
State University.

History shows that Armenians are good tradesmen, but trade implies
open borders. "When I came here, I very much hoped that during my
stay here I would see progress in two very important directions:
the Karabakh peace process and the opening of border with Turkey."

At times, the hope grew stronger: the OSCE MG co-chairs have done much
in the matter. Several high-ranking Turkish officials have visited
Armenia and were probably surprised to see that it is not as hostile
as they believed it to be. Simply, Armenia has memory and this is a
different story. However, recently these hope has grown weaker. Today,
the situation in the region is not very much favorable for Armenia. The
Georgian-Russian crisis has resulted in problems in the north, the
world-Iran confrontation may lead to problems in the south.

The two unsolved problems – the Karabakh conflict and the closed
border with Turkey – prevent Armenia from using its whole potential.

However, these obstacles are just anachronisms and anachronisms
disappear sooner or later, Cuny said.