ARMENIA AND TURKEY OBLIGED TO COOPERATE, COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN SAYS

ARMENPRESS
Dec 20, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS: Arthur Aghabekian, chairman of a
parliament committee on defense and security issues, said today that
Armenia and Turkey are obliged to cooperate in some issues.

He was speaking at the second and last day of parliament hearings
on Turkish-Armenian relations initiated by a parliament committee on
foreign affairs.

"Armenia and Turkey are obliged to cooperate in some issues because
elements of cooperation are not a public demand, but stem from both
countries’ commitments to some international organizations,’ he said.

Arthur Aghabekian, a former deputy defense minister, said Armenia
and Turkey cooperate in the frameworks of the Conventional Forces
in Europe treaty and within the frameworks of the NATO-sponsored
Partnership for Peace program.

He said Armenian and Turkish representatives participate in different
events held both in Turkey and Armenia. He recalled that Turkey sent
its representatives to Armenia for a NATO-sponsored military drills
in 2003.

He said decisions in NATO are taken by consensus and Turkey never used
its veto right to obstruct Armenia’s participation in an international
program.

The former deputy minister reiterated Armenia’s official position on
unconditional normalization of relations with Turkey.

"Armenia’s border with Turkey it is also Armenia’s border with
NATO. If it were open it would certainly make Armenia closer to NATO
and would give it an opportunity to expand its cooperation with the
organization,’ he said.

Aghabekian also said normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations would
help settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and normalize Armenia’s
relations with Azerbaijan.