EDWARD NALBANDIAN HOPES TURKEY WILL NOT STEP BACK IN PROCESS OF NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKEY RELATIONS

ArmInfo
2009-06-22 16:26:00

ArmInfo. Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian hopes that
Turkey will not step back in normalization of the Armenian-Turkish
relations.

Foreign Minister Nalbandian has made such statement at a joint press
conference with Foreign Minister of the UAE Sheikh Abdallah Bin Zayid
Al Nahyan.

Earlier, Special Representative of the European Union for the South
Caucasus Peter Semneby declared that Turkey had taken a tactical
step backwards in the process of normalization of the relations
with Armenia.

‘Turkey will not settle the exiting problems by contradictory
statements.

All the existing disagreements should be settled through negotiations.

Armenia is devoted to such approach and will further exert efforts
in this dimension. We are ready to settle the relations without any
preconditions and we hope Turkey will chose the same way’, the Armenian
minister said. He highlighted that an intergovernmental commission
is to be set up to study many issues of mutual importance to further
develop the bilateral relations.

For his part, the Foreign Minister of the UAE said the issue of
the Armenian-Turkish relations was discussed at the last bilateral
meeting and his country supports the given process. He welcomed ‘the
soccer diplomacy’ that created bases for settlement of the relations
of Armenia and Turkey. He expressed hope that these developments will
lead to positive breakthroughs.

In addition, Sheikh Abdallah Bin Zayid Al Nahyan said the authorities
of both the states made brave steps and the UAE supports the parties
in this process.