ARMENIA SEEKING FRIENDLY TIES WITH AZERBAIJAN, PM

AssA-Irada
October 7, 2008 Tuesday
Azerbaijan

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian has said the vital issue
facing his country today is forging friendly relations with all states
in the region, and Azerbaijan in particular. He said Turkeys recent
proposal to set up a five-nation Caucasus union should be discussed
in the context of cooperation among regional states. Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to establish the union, called
the Caucasus Peace and Cooperation Platform, following a brief war
between Russia and Georgia in August.

Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia have already expressed their backing of
the initiative, while Georgia is yet to state its position. Sarkisian
said Armenia was ready to establish unconditional diplomatic
relations and economic cooperation with Turkey. Restoring our ties,
which have been frozen for 15 years, will lay groundwork for new
cooperation. Armenia and Turkey have been at odds and the border
between the two countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankaras
insistence due to Armenias policy of occupation against Azerbaijan
and the Armenian genocide claims. Sarkisian also made it clear that
Armenia was interested in joining any given regional project. Touching
on peace talks seeking to settle the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict,
he said that similar to Azerbaijan, Armenia appreciates European
values and should aspire to establish close ties with Azerbaijan
and Georgia, the other two South Caucasus republics, within the
European Neighborhood Policy (ENP). Sarkisian added that talks
on Garabagh conflict settlement would intensify after Azerbaijans
October 15 presidential election. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a
lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994,
but Armenia continues to occupy Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh and seven
other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. The
OSCE Minsk Group, which is co-chaired by the U.S., Russia and France,
is brokering the peace process.