U.S. CONGRESSMEN SUPPORT NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

armradio.am
24.09.2009 18:16

Three congressmen who are the members of the Congressional Caucus
on Turkey sent a letter to other members of the U.S. House of
Representatives, supporting the rapprochement between Turkey and
Armenia, Anadolu Agency reports.

In their letter, U.S. congressmen Robert Wexler, Edward Whitfield
and Kay Granger supported the August 31 joint declaration of Turkey,
Armenia and Switzerland and the normalization process between Turkey
and Armenia.

The three congressmen called on their other colleagues to support
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations, and said the trilateral
declaration made by the governments of Turkey, Armenia and Switzerland
on August 31 made public two protocols and a schedule to normalize
relations.

In their letter, Wexler, Whitfield and Granger said as far as they were
concerned, Turkish and Armenian leaders would most probably meet in
New York on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

The U.S. congressmen hoped this meeting would bring the two countries
closer to each other, and lay the groundwork for a planned visit
of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to Turkey to watch a World Cup
qualifier on October 14.

The co-chairmen of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey said Turkey
and Armenia had been having internal consultations for six weeks,
and they were expected to sign protocols at the end of the six weeks
and present them to their parliaments for approval.

When protocols were ratified, they would pave the way for improving
bilateral relations between Turkey and Armenia, particularly
establishing diplomatic relations, commercial and economic cooperation,
the congressmen said.

In the letter, the U.S. congressmen said as far as they were
concerned, the protocol on establishment of diplomatic relations
between Turkey and Armenia reaffirmed the decision to open common
borders and establish full diplomatic relations once the protocols
entered into force.

Also, they said the protocol on improving bilateral relations would
ensure confidence for fulfillment of articles of the two protocols.

In the letter, U.S. congressmen said the significant progress of Turkey
and Armenia for normalizing their bilateral relations was encouraging.

U.S. congressmen underlined the key importance of this historic
development between the two countries for ensuring peace, security
and welfare in the South Caucasus.

The three congressmen said unfortunately, South Caucasus had been a
region where cooperation and relations were overshadowed and where
economic growth, stability and political reforms were restricted due
to decades long clashes.

Therefore, they said in their letter, they were encouraging Turkish and
Armenian governments and parliaments to progress on the rapprochement
process, with the support of the Swiss government, and to build a
better future for Turkey, Armenia and the entire South Caucasus.