TODAY’S ZAMAN: ARMENIA HAS RESCHEDULED BSEC FOREIGN MINISTERIAL MEETING FOR BABACAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.03.2009 22:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to Turkish daily Today’s Zaman "Armenia
has rescheduled a foreign ministerial meeting of Black Sea countries,
apparently as a goodwill gesture to ensure Turkish Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan will be among the participants, diplomatic sources have said."

As it is mentioned in the article "Armenian authorities moved the
date of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
meeting from the previously announced April 29 to April 16. The shift
is significant because April 29 is only a few days after April 24,
which Armenians claim marks the beginning of a genocide campaign
against Armenians in the early 20th century."

Besides, April 24 is also the day when US presidents release a
traditional message to commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

Armenian-American groups expect President Barack Obama to break with
presidential tradition and use the word "genocide" in his message this
year, given the strong promises he made to Armenian-American voters
during his election campaign that he would endorse the genocide claims.

"Turkish officials have refrained from discussing whether Babacan will
attend the BSEC meeting. Although Ankara has a high opinion of BSEC
and wants to revitalize it as an influential regional consultation
mechanism, Babacan’s participation in the group’s next meeting in
Yerevan will still depend on Armenia’s commitment to the ongoing
rapprochement process and on the course of closed-door talks with
Armenia, officials say. The same officials also make it clear that
Turkey has made no request for the foreign ministerial gathering to
be rescheduled.

Before the foreign ministerial gathering, BSEC countries are due
to hold ministerial-level working meetings also in Yerevan. The
energy ministers of BSEC countries will meet on March 13, while the
transportation and agriculture ministers will gather on March 27 and
April 10, respectively. This means other Turkey Cabinet ministers
may visit Yerevan before Babacan", Today’s Zaman reports.