Trend, Azerbaijan
Jan 7 2010
Economically suffering Armenia better to compromise: expert
07.01.2010 14:17
Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 6 / Trend News E.Tariverdiyeva /
It is very much in the interest of landlocked and economically
suffering Armenia to proceed with the treaties, which will open up the
Turkey-Armenia border, U.S. expert on Turkey Michael Gunter believes.
"Both sides must make compromise to implement that they have already
agreed," American expert and political science professor at the
Tennessee Technological University Gunter told Trend News. "However,
Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh are still a major obstacle to the
parties."
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been broken due
to Armenia’s claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been broken since 1993.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are
currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. General Assembly’s
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.
According to the expert, in the case of normalization of relations
with Armenia, Turkey will also benefit from the absence of problems
with neighbors.
Recently, "soccer diplomacy" between the two ancient rivals has given
further hope for much more cooperation on further issues, the expert
believes.
"If both countries would ratify the treaties on the development of
relations and establishment of diplomatic relations signed in Zurich
in October 2009 it would facilitate further Turkish-Armenian
rapprochement," Gunter added.