Today’s Zaman , Turkey
June 27 2009
G-8 countries praise Turkish-Armenian rapprochement
Foreign ministers of the Group of Eight industrialized nations on
Friday praised talks between estranged neighbors Turkey and Armenia to
normalize their relations.
In a statement released after their talks in Trieste, Italy, the G-8
ministers also vowed to continue to work to ensure stability in the
Caucasus and expressed backing for the efforts undertaken by the
United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) and the European Union to this effect.
Turkey and Armenia have been holding closed-door talks to restore
their diplomatic relations and open their border, closed since
1993. In April, the two countries announced progress in the talks and
said a framework agreement on how to normalize relations has been
reached. But Azerbaijan, an ethnic and regional ally of Turkey, has
protested the rapprochement, saying Turkey should not soften their
stance toward Armenia before Armenia ends its occupation of a chunk of
Azerbaijani territory. Armenia occupied the Azerbaijani territory
during a war over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Following Azerbaijani protests, the government announced progress in
talks with Armenia depended on progress in talks to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, a separate process overseen by OSCE’s Minsk
Group, which consists of Russian, US and French representatives.
The G-8 statement said the ministers praised the efforts of the Minsk
Group to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.
On Thursday, Russia warned the West against foreign meddling in the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Russia is
against foisting remedies upon the conflict sides from outside," the
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on the eve of
the G-8 meeting. "Russia is ready to support the option of conflict
resolution that is satisfactory to all the sides involved and, in case
a compromise agreement is reached, act as guarantor of the
resolution."
The ministry said that the key mediators — Russia, the US and France
— are in consensus about the main approaches for a resolution to the
21-year conflict.
Speculation has run rampant recently that a resolution breakthrough
could occur this year, but, as yet, no concrete signs of such a
development have emerged.
27 June 2009, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL