PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA: ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND OPENING THE BORDER WITH TURKEY NEITHER MINIMAL NOR MAXIMAL TASK

ArmInfo
2009-09-17 16:35:00

ArmInfo. "I have been often asked recently what are our maximal and
minimal programs. Establishment of diplomatic relations and opening
the border with Turkey is neither minimal nor maximal task. I consider
completion of these processes just creation of the minimum environment
for launching a dialogue with Turks," President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan said before public consultations with representatives of
local political parties on Thursday.

The president highlighted that Armenia has many task to settle with
Turkey at various levels: political, economic and historical.

Serzh Sargsyan said that after the joint statement by Armenia and
Turkey and publication of the initialed protocols, quite positive
and important process has begun. "I mean this very stage of public
and political discussions," the president said. He said that studying
in details various opinions and statements made public, he sees some
risks and feels certain concern. The president said that inviting
the Turkish president to Yerevan and initiating the current process,
he aimed to open a window of opportunities for normalization of the
two countries’ relations and to demonstrate that the nation that
survived the tragedy of Genocide and Armenia as a state have enough
power to be the first to extend hand and show the senselessness
of moving against global development. The president drew attention
of the participants in the consultations to the circumstance that
many forces are against public negotiations with Turkey. "All of us
remember that such attempts have always been made in the history of
Armenia. Actually, this process is peculiar since it is of public
nature. However, I think that it was necessary to make the process
public since the tension between us neither invented nor depends on
the situation. It exists between our public and, frankly speaking,
this enmity is the result of the darkest page i.e.

Genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire." If we ever regulate
our relations with Turkey, it will require participation of the two
countries’ public alongside with the political will of the Armenian
and Turkish leaders. Otherwise, it will be impossible to settle this
problem. I am aware that there are certain problems also with public
discussion of the process.

If the process faces deadlock, the aforementioned discrepancies,
enmity will naturally deepen," S. Sargsyan said.

The president said that some provisions of the Protocols may remain
unconvincing for certain people. Nevertheless, he is sure the versatile
and impartial consideration will liquidate this problem.

Serzh Sargsyan said he tries to keep on settling the tasks and we
should realize these tasks together. "If we really want to normalize
relations, and we do want it, since I haven’t yet heard of any
political force to be against it, we should understand who and what
specific work will have to do.

I think it is the most important," the president said.

After the president’s speech, the consultations were continued behind
closed doors for nearly 5 hours.