BLOCKADE OF ARMENIAN BORDER BY TURKEY IS BASELESS AND CAUSELESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.03.2007 13:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian delegation’s participation in the
inauguration of Armenian medieval Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar
island was necessary, RA Acting Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
stated in Yerevan. He said, if a cross was placed atop the church,
participation of the Armenian delegation in the opening would be more
representative and representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church
would also be present in the inauguration of the temple.

"But Turkey refused, and that’s why our delegation was rather
modest. However it is an Armenian monument, it belongs to us
and Armenian should be present there in order to show it to the
world. Existence of the Armenian monument on the strategically
important island is evidence for the fact that we’ve lived on these
territories for centuries," the RA FM underlined.

He also noted "though the Armenian delegation was not given a right to
speak at the inauguration but with silence and just presence Armenia
managed to bring her message to the world".

"It would be better if Turkey took more active moves for normalizing
his relations with Armenia and opened the border; this is a normal
process and only in this case realization of such programs would
be effective.

There are no causes and basis for closing the Armenian-Turkish border
and Turkey should open the border with Armenia, it will create
a normal situation between the countries. Only after opening the
Armenian-Turkish border it will be possible to start a constructive
dialog," Vartan Oskanian said, "Novosti-Armenia" reports.