‘ROAD-MAP’ IS TRANSITIONAL STEP FROM NEGOTIATIONS TO ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY: LOCAL POLITICAL EXPERT

ArmInfo
2009-04-23 14:00:00

ArmInfo. The ‘road-map’ is a transitional step from negotiations to
establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey,
Aleksander Iskandaryan, local political expert, Director of Caucasus
Institute told ArmInfo commenting on the ‘road-map’ established by
the Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Turkey on Wednesday.

‘Alongside with other factors, it is a situational step by Ankara
aimed to gain certain dividends in the context of the U.S. president’s
speech on April 24’, he said. A. Iskandaryan believes this step
positive like any other step towards establishment of Armenian-Turkish
dialogue. ‘However, it does not mean that the Armenian-Turkish border
will be opened shortly’, he said.

Turkey and Armenia, together with Switzerland as mediator, have
been working intensively with a view to normalizing their bilateral
relations and developing them in a spirit of good-neighborliness, and
mutual respect, and thus to promoting peace, security and stability
in the whole region.

The two parties have achieved tangible progress and mutual
understanding in this process and they have agreed on a comprehensive
framework for the normalization of their bilateral relations in a
mutually satisfactory manner. In this context, a road-map has been
identified.

This agreed basis provides a positive prospect for the on-going
process.