DINK WAS AN ADVOCATE OF DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS
By A. Manvelian

AZG Armenian Daily
18/12/2007

Yesterday Charge d´Affairs Joseph Pennington met with the reporters
at the US Embassy in Armenia. According to the diplomat’s words, the
meeting was organized so as to get acquainted with the representatives
of the Armenian press and to answer their top most interesting
questions. In his welcoming speech Mr. Pennington said that he had
been the press attache at the US Embassy in Ankara for four years
and that he realizes the importance of establishing partner relations
with the press.

This meeting was intended to spread light over the US stance on certain
questions, and the questions were very numerous, Armenia-America
and Armenia-Turkey relations, nuclear power station and presidential
elections.

Referring to the Armenia’s relations with the United States, Joseph
Pennington emphasized the importance of a number of programs in
Armenia, sponsored by the US, such as the Millennium Challenge
program. According to the Charge d´Affairs, that the USAID has just
launched a program on corruption struggle, and its effectiveness is
to be proved in the future.

At the reporters’ request, Mr. Pennington also made comments on an
agreement about research on the new nuclear power station, signed
recently by the US Government and the Power Engineering Ministry of
Armenia. $2 million is to be assigned for the research.

The American diplomat also reminded that besides the research on
the new nuclear power plant, the United States sponsored a number of
programs on modernization and improvement of the security station of
the old one, the Nuclear Power Plant in Metsamor.

A number of questions addressed to the US Charge d’Affaires
were dedicated to the upcoming presidential elections in Armenia,
particularly organizing the exit polls. Mr. Pennington answered that
he had discussed the matter with Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian,
who gladly accepted the initiative of the American side.

The exit poll is supposed to be organized by the US International
Republican Institute.

Speaking of the Karabakh issue, the Charge d’Affaires stated that
the USA supports the negotiation processes in OSCE frameworks. For
other details he asked to address Matthew Bryza, who is to arrive in
Yerevan one of these days.

The reporters were also interested in the appointment of a new
ambassador to Armenia. Pennington informed that the candidature of
the next US Ambassador to Armenia will soon be submitted to the Senate
by the Office of the Secretary of State.

Referring to the Armenia-Turkey relations the diplomat expressed
hope that the borders shall be opened and the sides shall establish
diplomatic relations.

He also told the reporters, that during 4 years spent in Ankara,
he had met Hrant Dink only once, but was greatly impressed by the
meeting. According to Pennington, Dink told him that he is proud of
being Armenian, and at the same time he is a citizen of Turkey and
loves that country as well, and that establishment of normal relations
between Armenia and Turkey is a priority of his life.

–Boundary_(ID_yhwNFoaZOymJXiNvfTqeTw)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress