ESTABLISHING ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS WILL DECREASE TENSION IN REGION: SARGSYAN

Tert.am
13:08 05.10.09

New York was the second destination of President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan’s week-long Pan-Armenian Tour.

As announced by the President of the Republic of Armenia press office,
on October 3, Sargsyan met with members of large Armenian communities
of Eastern US and Canada. "Hayastan" Pan-Armenian Fund Board of
Trustees Vice-President Gagik Harutyunyan, Armenia’s Ambassador
at-large, Ex-president of Nagorno-Karabakh Arkadi Ghukasyan, and
Republic of Armenia Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan participated
in the meeting.

Meeting participants welcomed Sargsyan’s initiative to visit cities
with large Armenian communities, noting that despite the decades-long
history and rich experience of Armenia-Diaspora cooperation, the
pan-Armenian tour and such meetings, and the profound comprehensive and
pluralist discussions taking place, form a new sort of establishment:
that which hears the voices of various segments of the Armenian
people all over the world, along with those in the homeland, and
presenting Armenia’s approach to compatriots in the Diaspora before
making decisions of pan-national importance.

In his opening speech, President Sargsyan once more emphasized
that Armenia proceeds to establish relations with Turkey without
preconditions.

"I believe that we were able to get the most in the given period,"
Sargsyan said referring to the concern that it was possible to
have a document which would be more beneficial for Armenians in the
Armenian-Turkish negotiation process.

Sargsyan stated after the Russo-Georgian war last August, in essence,
a new situation was created which, to a certain extent, contributed
to moving the Armenian-Turkish political dialogue forward, as it is
obvious that unresolved issues include big challenges for peoples’
peaceful, secure and prosperous future. Sargsyan expressed confidence
that the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey will
also cont in the region and creating an environment of mutual trust.

During the meeting, Sargsyan emphasized once more that the issue of
Armenian Genocide cannot be discussed in the context of establishing
relations with Turkey.

"The only issue connected with Genocide which may be a subject
for discussion is how we can help the Turkish people to be more
partial while looking through the pages of their own history or, to
be more precise, how to overcome the consequences of the Genocide,"
the president said.

In conclusion, Sargsyan said, "The most important thing is that in
this responsible stage of making decisions, we find the strength
to understand each other. I believe in Armenia’s bright future. I
believe in it, because I see the right path," the president said.