SARKISIAN HOPES FOR OPENING OF BORDER WITH TURKEY BY OCT.

AzerNews Weekly
April 15 2009
Azerbaijan

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has expressed hope that the
Turkey-Armenia border would be re-opened by the time a soccer match
is played between the two countries` national teams, scheduled for
October 7.

He was replying to a question of the Russian RTR TV channel`s Vesti
(News) program concerning the possibility that the border would
be re-opened.

Sarkisian recalled that he had invited Turkish President Abdullah
Gul to Yerevan last year and that Ankara had accepted the invitation.

"We have covered a challenging but, I think, useful path of
negotiations and we are already drawing to their conclusion. And I hope
that when I go to watch the return match of the Turkish and Armenian
teams, the border might be already open. That, if I am not mistaken,
will happen on October 7."

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 due to its occupation of
Azerbaijani territories and its claims regarding the alleged World
War I-era genocide. Yerevan has also leveled territorial claims
against Turkey. However, there have been signs of normalization
in Ankara-Yerevan ties in recent years. The two countries` leaders
attended a 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match together in Yerevan
in September 2008 when Abdullah Gul became the first Turkish president
to visit Armenia. At that time Gul invited his Armenian counterpart
to Istanbul for a return game.

Sarkisian also delved into history in his interview, claiming that
Armenians and Turks share a common historical past. He also went on
to assert the claims concerning the alleged genocide in the Ottoman
Empire.

"There is not a single Armenian in the world who would question the
fact of genocide," Sarkisian maintained. "Everyone is convinced of
that. But the Turks and the Turkish state deny this. But despite this,
we have offered the Turks to establish diplomatic ties without any
preconditions, open up the roads and then set up an inter-governmental
commission that would be able to discuss various issues."

Yerevan has remained cold to Ankara`s repeated proposals to establish
a joint commission of historians to study the events of 1915.

Meanwhile, Baku commented on the possible opening of the
Turkish-Armenian border. Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz
Azimov said the measure would, in fact, harm the process of settling
the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.

"We believe that since Turkey shut the border with Armenia due to the
occupation of Azerbaijani territories [by Armenian armed forces], this
factor should play a key role in the opening of the border, i.e. the
border could open up only after the previously-made conditions are
met," Azimov told journalists.

The media has maintained that the Turkish-Armenian border would be
re-opened soon. The news has sparked an outcry in Azerbaijan, which
has endured the occupation by Armenia.

The deputy minister noted that the border opening issue could be
considered only in the context of reaching a permanent solution to
the Garabagh conflict.

"We would be ready to discuss this issue at a certain stage of
negotiations. But discussing the border opening out of context
contradicts Azerbaijan`s interests," Azimov said.

He emphasized that even if the Turkish-Armenian border opens,
Azerbaijan would not turn into an isolated country in the
region. "Azerbaijan can never become an abandoned state, as all
projects in the region stem from Azerbaijan."

Azimov said the process of resolving the Garabagh problem would be
carried out in stages. The country`s ultimate goal is to fully ensure
its territorial integrity.

"Azerbaijanis and Armenians in Upper Garabagh should live as good
neighbors. This aim cannot be reached overnight, therefore, we have
to move forward step by step to accomplish that."

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing
of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh
and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international
law. Peace talks have not yet resulted in resolving the conflict.

Azimov said the liberation of the occupied districts is to be carried
out stage by stage as well, given that this is an extremely complicated
process both from the technical and military standpoints.

The deputy minister said peace talks are currently underway as part
of separate meetings in Azerbaijan and Armenia being held with the
mediation of the Russian, US and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group.

"So to speak, a visit diplomacy is being pursued by the co-chairs. The
mediators are currently trying to foster agreement regarding basic
principles of the conflict resolution. After this agreement is
reached, the process of drafting a more comprehensive peace accord
will be started."

Further, Azimov said an agreement on holding the next meeting of the
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in May has not yet been reached,
adding that these meetings are being arranged at the urging of the
two presidents.

The diplomat stressed that the principles on stationing peacekeepers
in the Azerbaijani territories to be freed from Armenian occupation
had been agreed upon beforehand. Additionally, the countries agreed
that the armed forces of the Minsk Group co-chairing countries would
not be involved in peacekeeping operations.

Azimov said that immediately enforcing all of Azerbaijan`s rights in
the territories to be liberated would not be possible. The conflict
zone will have to undergo certain demilitarization. After Armenian
troops withdraw from the area, only forces in charge of ensuring
security will be stationed there, as it will be necessary to provide
for the safety of those Azerbaijanis displaced during the war in the
early 1990s and now returning to their homes.