RA PRESIDENT: ARMENIA IS READY TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

Arminfo
2007-02-19 14:56:00

Armenia is ready to establish diplomatic ties with Turkey
without preconditions, RA President Robert Kocharyan said in an
interview to the French daily "Le Figaro", "Svoboda" Radio station
reports. Kocharian rejected Turkey’s offer to set up a joint panel
of historians to debate the issue, but instead called on Ankara to
accept his suggestion of an intergovernmental commission.

"Normalization of bilateral relations is the duty of the Government
and not the historians", R. Kocharyan said. "We are ready to
establish diplomatic relations without preconditions, to create a
joint government commission and discuss all the issues, including
the most delicate ones", RA President said.

To remind, Robert Kocharian is in France on an official visit today,
and is scheduled to meet with French President Jacques Chirac. The
Heads of the two states will also open an exhibition "Saint Armenia"
in Louvre.