RE-OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER IMPOSSIBLE IN NEAR FUTURE
ARKA
March 20, 2009
YEREVAN, March 20. /ARKA/. The re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish
border is impossible in the near future, Artyusha Shahbazyan, Secretary
of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) faction told a briefing
in Parliament.
"I do not think that the re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish border
is possible in a short period. However, we should consider this
possibility in a longer-term outlook," Shahbazyan said.
According to him, presenting the situation in the context of possible
resolution of the problem is a maneuver of Turkish propaganda,
which specifically has to do with an attempt to torpedo the possible
recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the USA, which can be done
before April 24.
Shahbazyan pointed out that the party sees numerous other threats to
domestic producers from the possible re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish
border.
"The re-opening of the border will deliver a serious blow to the
Armenian agricultural sector and the small and medium-sized enterprises
working in this sector," Shahbazyan.
He said that the ARF prepared a document dealing with the possible
re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish border in the context of the
benefits and threats. The faction plans to submit the document to
the Government in the near future.
Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations. The Armenian-Turkish
border was closed in 1993 on20official Ankara’s initiative. Turkey sets
a number of preconditions for the establishment of bilateral relations
– Armenia’s abandoning the policy of getting the Armenian Genocide
internationally recognized and recognizing Turkey’s present-day
borders.
The first positive changes in the Armenian-Turkish relations were
registered on September 6, 2008, when Turkish President Abdullah Gul
first arrived in Yerevan at the invitation of his Armenian counterpart
Serzh Sargsyan.
The two Presidents discussed the possibility of establishing bilateral
relations.