EU INTERESTED IN DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Dec 19 2007

YEREVAN, December 19. /ARKA/. The European Union (EU) is interested
in the development of Armenian0-Turkish relations, EU Special
Representative in the South Caucasus Peter Semneby stated at his
meeting with Speaker of the RA Parliament Tigran Torosyan.

The public relations department, RA Parliament, reports that Semneby
confirmed the EU’s concern over regional problems and interest in
the improvement of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

According to him, the EU wishes to see more predictable relations
and believes that European integration affords ample opportunities
for this.

Speaker Torosyan expressed satisfaction with Semneby’s visit to
Yerevan to take part in the parliamentary hearings and pointed out
that this is evidence of the EU’s attention to regional problems.

The RA Parliament has held hearings on problems and prospects of
Armenian-Turkish relations.

The hearings were attended by representatives of a number of Armenian
and international organizations, political parties, as well as
by Peter Semneby. A Turkish representative declined the Armenian
Parliament’s invitation.

Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations. In 1993, the
Armenian-Turkish border was closed on official Ankara’s initiative.

Turkey sets three preconditions for the establishment of bilateral
relations: settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan’s
favour, Armenia’s recognition of Turkey’s borders and abrogation of
its policy of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide in
the Ottoman Empire.