STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL VOICES SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S PROPOSED HISTORICAL COMMISSION

ArmInfo
2009-06-17 14:19:00

ArmInfo. Assistant Secretary of State Phil Gordon today indicated
that the Obama Administration supports the establishment of an
Armenia-Turkey historical commission.

As Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reported, Gordon,
during testimony earlier today before the EuropeSubcommittee of
the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, fielded a question from
the panel’s Chairman, Robert Wexler (D-FL) about how the Department
of State intends to "navigate the course of the engagement between
Turkey and Armenia so that Azerbaijan comes out a winner." In his
response to this inquiry by the Turkish Caucus Co-Chairman, Gordon
voiced support for the Armenia-Turkey "roadmap," a document publicly
welcomed by the State Department on April 22nd, noting, in particular,
a highly controversial, much discussed, but never before officially
disclosed element of this agreement stipulating the establishment of
a commission to examine historical issues between the two nation. His
comments read, in part:

"You have two parallel but separate tracks [Armenia-Turkey dialogue
and the Nagorno Karabagh peace process] going on, a Turkey and
Armenia normalization reconciliation process that we do think
isquite potentially historic, where the two countries have agreed
on a framework for normalizing their relations that would include
opening the border, which has been closed for far to long, which
would establish diplomatic relations and would provide commissions
in key areas including history, and we encourage that process and we
support it."