SARGSYAN’S PROPOSAL FOUND A POSITIVE RESPONSE IN ANKARA

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.07.2008 14:11 GMT+04:00

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s open call to Turkey to launch "a
fresh start" in relations between the estranged neighbors has found
a positive response in the Turkish capital, Today’s Zaman reports.

"The time has come for a fresh effort to break this deadlock, a
situation that helps no one and hurts many. As president of Armenia,
I take this opportunity to propose a fresh start – a new phase of
dialogue with the government and people of Turkey, with the goal of
normalizing relations and opening our common border," Sargsyan said
in an opinion piece published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal.

In response to a question at a weekly press conference held in Ankara,
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Burak Ozugergin said firstly that Ankara
has received Sarksyan’s formal invitation to President Abdullah Gul
via official channels to visit Yerevan for a soccer match in September.

"We will assess the invitation," Ozugergin said.

Armenia and Turkey will play against each other in the Armenian capital
of Yerevan on Sept. 6 in a qualifying match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup,
scheduled to be held in South Africa.

"We are heeding normalization concerning relations with Armenia. The
Armenian president has had certain statements resound in the
international community," Ozugergin said when reminded of the content
of the opinion piece by Sargsyan.

"We have learned that he said that there is no other alternative than
normalization of the two countries’ relations. If this statement is
so, we agree with these suggestions. As a matter of fact, there had
been exchange of letters right after the elections in Armenia. These
elements are also in those letters. Accordingly, if it [the statement
by Sargsyan] is true, then we are responding with pleasure these
statements by Sargsyan," Ozugergin said.

"There is no real alternative to the establishment of normal relations
between our countries. It is my hope that both of our governments
can pass through the threshold of this new open door. … We cannot
expect tangible progress without such structured relations. Only
through them can we create an effective dialogue touching upon even
the most contentious historical issues," the Armenian President said
in his opinion piece.