ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CALLS EUROPEAN UNION TO BRING PRESSURE ON TURKEY
ArmInfo Agency, Armenia
Oct 10 2007
ArmInfo. Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan called European
Union to bring pressure on Turkey for the latter to open the border
to Armenia. As Radio Liberty says, Oskanyan voiced his challenge
yesterday when making a speech at the session of Foreign Relations
Commission of the European Parliament.
The minister recalled that Yerevan does not put forward any conditions
for normalizing the relations with Turkey. Speaking about a number
of unsettled problems in the relations of the two states, at the
same time Oskanyan emphasized that it is inadmissible to hinder
the dialogue. He called the commission of the European Parliament
to bring pressure on Turkey for the latter to start dialogue with
Armenia. Oskanyan emphasized that Armenia which is in blockade, is
especially concerned about opening of the border. ‘Borders opening is
important not only for Armenia but the European Union as well, since
Turkey is a natural bridge between the Caucasus and Europe. Without
the balanced and impartial policy of Turkey regarding our region our
relations will not be as effective as they could be in case of normal
relations between Armenia and Turkey,- Oskanyan said. He slagged
off of EU in this matter. And added that such position is clear but
irrelevant. Oskanyan disproved fair of official Ankara that Armenia
has territorial claims, saying that the border between the two states
is specific and in line with an agreement between Turkey and USSR
dated 1922. He also emphasized that Turkey was not involved in the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict on Nagornyy Karabakh and the official
Ankara should not watch it in the context of bilateral relations.
Oskanyan thinks that observing of the Karabakh conflict in UN is
absolutely irrelevant. The OSCE Minsk Group is the only appropriate
for that format, which the frames of which serious prospects of
settlement are noticed.