PETER SEMNEBY: EUROPEAN UNION WILL ASSIST NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 19, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. On February 19, RA Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsian met with EU Special Representative for the South
Caucasus Peter Semneby. During the meeting they touched upon the
consequences of the world financial and economic crisis, its impact
on the RA economy and government’s coming programs, as well as
on country’s home political situation in consideration that social
tension usually considerably increases as a result of the crisis. The
interlocutors also spoke about the process aimed at normalization
of relations between Turkey and RA, about relations with the other
regional neighbors.

T. Sargsian presented RA government’s anticrisis strategy under the
formed situation, the results of the negotiations with international
financial organizations, including WB and IMF. He expressed the hope
that cooperation with European structures will help to overcome the
negative impacts of the world financial-economic crisis.

P. Semneby emphasized that RA like other countries involved in the
European Neighborhood Policy remains in the focus of EU attention. As
to the home political situation in RA, he said that EU is interested
in Armenia’s having a stable situation, in overcoming of the March
1 events’ consequences, in the steps taken in that direction being
open and transparent. In connection with the relations with Turkey
P. Semneby said that for EU both Turkey and Armenia are important
partners, and today and in the future EU will assist normalization
of those relations.

According to the RA government Information and Public Relations
Department, Raul de Luzenberger, the head of the European Commission
delegation in Armenia, Tomasz Knothe, the Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of Poland to RA, Serge Smessow, the Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to RA, advisors of the EU
Special Representative for the South Caucasus took part in the meeting.