PanARMENIAN.Net

French FM offers assistance in establishing relations
between Armenia and Turkey
06.05.2008 14:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ France’s Foreign Minister Bernard
Kouchner voiced regret over the closed the
Turkish-Armenian border and the blockade of Armenia.

`I raised the issue during a meeting with Turkey’s Ali
Babacan and his approach seemed positive but the
reasons for keeping the border closed are not
understandable for me,’ Mr Kouchner said after talks
with Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

As independent French journalist Jean Eckian told
PanARMENIAN.Net, the French Minister offered
assistance in eliminating `political and intellectual
obstacles’ in the way toward Armenia-Turkey
reconciliation. `Assuming the EU presidency in July,
France will work for the purpose,’ he said.

For his part, Minister Nalbandian remarked that
political leaders of Armenia and Turkey should meet
halfway to turn the dark page of the history. `Both
Armenia and Turkey as well as the entire region will
benefit from normalization of relations without
preconditions,’ he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress