SERGE SARGSYAN DOES NOT RULE OUT TURKEY MAY RETREAT
17:24:31 – 10/04/2009
LRAGIR.AM
On April 10, during the press conference, dwelling on the Armenian and
Turkish relations, Serge Sargsyan spoke for the first time about the
possibility of Armenia’s leaving the Armenian and Turkish negotiations.
Serge Sargsyan announced this in response to the Turkish media and
official Ankara’s frequent statements on the important preconditions
for the Armenian and Turkish negotiations, which are the recognition
of the genocide and the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
According to Serge Sargsyan, there is no precondition. `The
recognition of the genocide is not considered a precondition, we
expect Turkey not to consider a precondition the stop of the process
either.’ `It is not we who are forcing the U.S. to recognize the
genocide,’ Serge Sargsyan said. According to him, if the recognition
is considered a measure for prevention or an anti-terrorism move, it
will be recognized, otherwise it will not be recognized.
As to the Armenian and Turkish relations, Serge Sargsyan says: `We do
not see any probability for a possible precondition for establishing
our relations. We have already said, and now I’m reiterating that we
are ready to establish ties without any precondition. Now, I think
that the ball is in Turkey’s field and if we speak about the football
diplomacy, we have to state that the ball cannot stay in one field for
ever, and any football match has its terms. We may be mistaken in our
estimates, and the Turks may assume other stances and may try to
propose other preconditions. This cannot be ruled out completely. But
I think that we will leave this process having become stronger than
before. We again underscored with this process, and the international
community witnessed that we are ready to set up relations without
preconditions,’ Serge Sargsyan said. In answer to the question, what
impeded Armenia to launch the present process of the Armenian and
Turkish relations before for example when Robert Kocharyan was the
president, and what enabled Serge Sargsyan to do that, the president
answered that he can speak only about himself. `I’m deeply convinced
that my stance was not shaped after I became the president, all of you
know, you can take the national security strategy, my evaluations of
the Armenian and Turkish relations before, I sincerely believe that we
must establish relations with Turkey. I think such a skilful
diplomatic system like the Turkish one is able to appreciate the
degree of sincerity. This is the first circumstance, and the second
circumstance is various international factors. These factors enable us
being in this state now. It is not a matter of difficulty or
easiness,’ said Serge Sargsyan.
Answering the question on including the Nagorno-Karabakh issue in the
Armenian and Turkish relations, as the Turkish government states,
Serge Sargsyan said that he would like the Armenian reporters to
believe the Armenian government more. `We have stated for a number of
times that neither the Nagorno-Karabakh issue nor the issue of the
genocide have been dwelt on during the Armenian and Turkish
negotiations. We have made such statement last Sunday. I have to
repeat that the Turks are likely to change their stance, go back on
the agreements reached with us. I cannot answer or be responsible for
the Turks. I’m responsible for the behavior of the Republic of
Armenia. I’m stating that we have never had another stance and are not
going to. Our stance is the following: to establish relations without
preconditions,’ said Serge Sargsyan. As to opening the Armenian and
Turkish border, Serge Sargsyan’s opinion is positive. `I think that in
the next Armenia – Turkey football match I will either cross the open
border or we will be about to open it. This can be con an
positivsidered as an optimistic point of view but my optimism may not
come true. I repeat we will not lose in this process,’ Serge Sargsyan
says.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
