EU OFFICIAL – COMPROMISE A NECESSITY IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Shushan Stepanyan

hetq.am/en/politics/karabakh-conflict-a nd-eu/
2009/04/08 | 15:28

Important politics

At a press conference Marianne Isler Beguin, Co-President of the
EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, had some difficulty
when asked by reporters to list some of the political issues discussed
by the delegation while in Armenia.

The co-president answered, "We focused mainly on economic problems
related to the crisis, an issue being tackled on the European Union
level. This is also political, political economic. You asked your
question and this is my answer."

She then added that, of course, the Karabakh conflict settlement
issue was the most interesting issue to be discussed. "I am saddened
that we haven’t come up with a solution in ten years.We have urged
the European Union to take a more active role in the issue. What is
most important for us is to know whether the peoples on both sides
are ready to make compromises.

The co-president stated that she raises the issue both in Armenia
and in Azerbaijan, adding that, in her view, mutual compromise is a
necessity and that the status-quo cannot continue.

Regarding the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border, Ms. Isler Beguin
noted that, "This issue has often been raised within the framework
of the European Union. We have asked that a serious review of the
consequences, both economic and social, be undertaken as to what will
transpire if the border is opened. We want the border to be open at
all costs. We were even ready to go and meet with our partners on the
other side of the border but were advised to adopt a lower profile,"
she commented.

She stated that she was confident that opening the border wold not
only have positive results for Armenia but that Turkey would benefit
as well. "In particular, in the border region are located some of
Turkey’s poorest regions and thus the border openinng can also be of
benefit to them," Ms. Isler Beguin concluded.