ARMENIA READY FOR UNCONDITIONAL NORMALIZATION OF TIES WITH TURKEY

Armenpress
Feb 19 2007

PARIS, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS: In an interview with a French daily Le
Figaro published on Monday Armenian president Robert Kocharian said
Armenia is ready to establish diplomatic ties with Turkey without
preconditions and create a joint government commission to discuss
all sensitive issues between the two nations, including the 1915
Armenian genocide.

Robert Kocharian rejected Turkey’s offer to set up a joint panel of
historians to debate the issue and called on Ankara to accept his
suggestion of an intergovernmental commission. "The normalization
of bilateral relations is the responsibility of governments, not
historians," Kocharian was quoted by Reuters as saying.

"That is why we are ready to establish diplomatic relations with
Turkey without preconditions, create an intergovernmental commission
and to discuss all issues, including the most sensitive," he added.