ARMENIAN LEADER SAYS TERRITORIAL CLAIMS TO TURKEY BAD START FOR TALKS

Mediamax
Oct 8 2009
Armenia

Yerevan, 8 October: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stated in
Yerevan today that "territorial claims to Turkey are a bad start for
normalizing relations".

The president said this at an enlarged session of the National Security
Council while commenting on concerns of many representatives of the
diaspora that by normalizing relations with Turkey, Armenia recognizes
its territorial integrity.

"There are realities of the 21st century’s political culture that we
are obliged to take into consideration," Sargsyan noted.

Speaking about concerns of diaspora members that by normalizing
relations with Turkey, Armenia will stop demanding the international
recognition of the Armenian genocide and stop accusations over the
Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian president said
that "we have undertaken commitment over the recognition and accusation
of genocide, and we will carry out this commitment till the end".

All participants in the enlarged session of the National Security
Council, which was attended by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II,
Minister of the Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, Chairman of the Prosperous
Armenia party Gagik Tsarukyan and Chairman of the Public Council Vazgen
Manukyan, expressed their approval of the initialled Armenian-Turkish
protocols.