EUROPEAN UNION URGES TURKEY TO OPEN ITS BORDER WITH ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2006 17:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Its upcoming progress report on Turkey, the European
Union urges Turkey to open its border with Armenia, stressing that
this would be an important step forward in the establishment of good
neighborly relations between the two countries and would boost trade
relations.

According to the draft progress report obtained by The New Anatolian
before the text is released by the EU next Wednesday, while urging
Turkey to open its border with Armenia, the EU cites the lack of
significant developments in relations between Turkey and Armenia since
the official exchange of letters between Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President Robert Kocharian in April 2005.

However the EU notes a closer alignment of Turkey’s official position
with EU positions in relation with the Southern Caucasus and Central
Asia. "Turkey has reiterated its support for the European Neighborhood
Policy. Turkey participates in the regional initiative GUAM (Georgia,
Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) with observer status. Turkey followed
closely the elections in Azerbaijan. It aligned itself with the EU
Presidency statement on the elections in Azerbaijan on 10 November
2005," said the report, reported ABHABER.