ARMENIA MUST NEVER RENOUNCE ITS TERRITORIAL CLAIMS FOR TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.02.2009 17:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Official Yerevan’s relationship with Ankara is
one of the key directions in Armenia’s foreign policy, an Armenian
expert said.

"Unfortunately, during past 15 years the Armenia failed to work
out a specific strategy of relations with Turkey," Armen Aivazyan,
Director of Ararat Center of Strategic Studies, told a news conference
on Tuesday.

"Turkey continues with its anti-Armenian propaganda and is waging a war
against Armenia using non-traditional weapons: economic, political,
moral and legislative. Meanwhile, Armenia lays one claim: opening
of the border and establishment of diplomatic relations without
preconditions," he said.

This is a wrong approach, according to the expert.

"Football diplomacy only created a background for normalization
of relations with Turkey, yet Yerevan hasn’t assumed any specific
position on Ankara. The problems between the countries can’t be
resolved through meetings only," Aivazyan said.

He added that up to now the football initiative of the Armenian
President did not lead to any perceptible results.

"Armenia must never renounce its territorial claims to Turkey,"
Aivazyan emphasized.

As to the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border, the expert noted
that it could seriously harm Armenian economy which is too brittle
yet to resist the deluge of Turkish goods.