ARMENIAN LEADER, MEDIA CHIEFS DISCUSS NORMALIZATION OF TIES WITH TURKEY

Public Television of Armenia
Sept 22 2009

[Presenter-read report over video of a meeting] In the context of
the ongoing public discussions [on normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations] President [Serzh] Sargsyan invited heads of over 30 Armenian
media outlets to exchange thoughts regarding the current stage of
normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations at the end of last week
[13-19 September].

President Sargsyan told the heads of media outlets that he expected
an open and sincere conversation on the current stage of normalization
of Armenian-Turkish relations, ascribing importance to their point of
view considering them both as people who hold an active civic position
and people who shape the public opinion. Sargsyan also emphasized the
importance of the participation and support of the public in the two
countries in this process. He said it would be impossible to resolve
the issue without this.

The president yet another time ascribed importance to the comprehensive
coverage of the process and of different opinions about it in the
media.

During an interesting and open discussion, which lasted over two
and a half hours, the heads of mass media outlets put forward their
opinions and observations on the process and the initialled protocols
[on the normalization of ties], exchanged thoughts on possible risks
and concerns. The president of the republic made clarifications for
the participants in the meeting to major opinions and issues raised
on the process in the media. He said that Armenia had entered a
difficult but at the same time a necessary process. The leader of
the country considered the Armenian-Turkish initialled documents
on the normalization of relations as initial steps aimed at the
normalization of relations, the major aim of which is ensuring a
minimum environment, a platform to begin a dialogue with Turkey and
to discuss issues starting from numerous economic and political ones
to cultural and historical issues.