Tert, Armenia
Oct 24 2009
`You Saw What Happened Between Armenia and Turkey’: U.S.
Vice-President Joe Biden in RFE/RL Interview
15:18 ¢ 24.10.09
The recent rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey and progress
toward a settlement on Nagorno-Karabakh are causes for optimism, said
U.S. Vice- President Joe Biden in an exlusive October 23 interview
with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
"What’s happening, from my perspective, is that people in the [South
Caucasus] region are beginning to understand that their self-interest
lies in greater cooperation now. Not out of love and affection, but
out of necessity and opportunity," Biden said.
Asked how the U.S. administration approaches the situation in the
South Caucasus, which has changed dramatically in the past year, Biden
responded by saying there seems to be both great danger and great
opportunity.
`And that’s what great nations and great alliances do. They take
advantage of, in a positive way, these changes to make them
opportunities. This is an opportunity. I compliment Secretary Clinton
‘ you saw what’s happened between Turkey and Armenia, as you
mentioned, you see what’s happening now in other long and festering
disputes,’ he said.
Continuing, the U.S. vice-president said, `This is going to be a very
difficult period. It is fraught with danger, but I would argue it’s
fraught with more opportunity than danger. And I see more positive¦
than negative things happening.’
Continuing in his `more positive than negative’ approach to the
region, Biden said that it is in everyone’s best interest that
progress takes place in the South Caucasus.
`Let me put it another way. Ten years from now, where we are…are in
that region of the world will be the real measure and test that our
grandchildren are going to apply as to whether or not we succeeded in
making a real change in the world in this 21st century. So I think
everyone’s seized with the consequence of not making progress in that
region of the world. Therefore, because so many are focused on it, I’m
more hopeful than I am pessimistic,’ he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress