EU INTERESTED IN NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.12.2007 18:33 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ December 19, RA National Assembly Speaker Tigran
Torosian met with EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus
Peter Semneby, who arrived in Armenia to attend the extended
parliamentary, the RA NA press office said.
The Speaker described the diplomat’s visit as manifestation of EU’s
attention to regional problems.
He gave a high estimation to the role of the European Union in the
region and emphasized that Armenia adheres to EU principles and values.
For his part, Mr Semneby stressed the importance of discussing the
Armenian-Turkish problem in the context of European integration. "Both
Yerevan and Ankara should define and accept the principles the
Armenian-Turkish relations will base on," he said.
"Dialogue is a basis for overcoming difficulties.
Armenia’s position meets these principles. We concede that there
are problems which should be omitted for a while. As for Turkey, it
turns Armenia’s problems with a third country, Azerbaijan, over to
the Armenian-Turkish relations. It can overcome the complex evoked by
the Armenian Genocide and keeps the border closed, thus conflicting
with European values."
"Still in autumn 2003 we proposed the head of the Turkish delegation
to PACE to meet and establish a kind of relations but no response
has come so far," he noted.
Touching upon recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the Speaker said
that Turkey’s proposal to form a joint commission of historians is
unacceptable, since Armenia doesn’t question the fact of Genocide.