WE ARE AGAINST TURKEY’S JOINING EUROPEAN UNION, PRESIDENT OF VENDEE GENERAL COUNCIL STATES

Noyan Tapan

Nov 18, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, NOYAN TAPAN. During the meeting of the Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan and the delegation headed by the President
of the General Council of the Vendee region (France), Member of the
European Parliament Philippe de Villiers, S. Sargsyan asked the French
side as a friend of Armenia to use its leverage at European level in
order to defend Armenia’s position on the Karabakh problem, P. de
Villiers declared at the November 17 press conference to finalize
the results of the delegation’s two-day visit to Yerevan.

He considered Armenia’s position on the problem as reasonable and
expressed a willingness to support it.

According to P. de Villiers, he presented the position of his friends
and himself concerning Turkey to the Armenian president. "We are
against Turkey’s joining the EU," P. de Villiers underlined, adding
that he expects that the National Assembly of France will pass the
bill envisaging criminal punishment (the bill has already been passed
by the French Senate) for denial of the Armenian Genocide. The
press conference was attended by Jack Uden, the former chairman
of France-Armenia friendship deputy group, the Deputy President of
Vendee General Council, during whose tenure the above mentioned bill
was passed by the Senate, Dominique Suchet, the Deputy President
of Vendee General Council who will coordinate the indicated work,
as well as by Serge Smessov, the French Ambassador to Armenia.

P. de Villiers said that the first reason for their being against
Turkey’s becoming a EU member is that this country is not in
Europe from the geographical and cultural points of view. "And
this reason makes us refrain from seeking other reasons," he said,
adding: "Turkey’s entrance into Europe would be a sudden shock,
whereas Armenia would remain isolated". In his words, the majority
of European nations share his opinion, which is evident from the
results of a survey conducted by an influential European monthly: 80%
of those surveyed did not want Turkey to join the EU. He noted that
the relations between these sides should develop within the framework
of the agreements on cooperation which have already been signed.

The French official pointed out that the more he becomes acquainted
with Armenia, the more his position strengthens because the Armenian
people practices a system of values which "are quite close to our
values and correspond to our civilization, whereas Turkey is in a
different civilization". P. de Villiers also declared that "even if
tomorrow Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide, anyway, it is not a
reason for that country’s joining the EU", adding that "after spending
two days in Armenia, we are really shocked by Turkey’s denial of the
Armenian Genocide". He expressed a hope that Turkey will change its
position on this issue and the Turkish president’s visit to Yerevan
in order to watch an Armenia-Turkey football match will be followed in
the future by a visit to the Memorial Complex of the Armenian Genocide
Victims. "To admit the wounds of a nation is a symbol of greatness,"
P. de Villiers said.

The delegation headed by him has visited the Memorial Complex of
the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and
planted a tree in the Memorial Alley near the museum.