OBAMA DISCUSSED WITH SARKISIAN PROSPECTS FOR THE NORMALIZATION OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS AND THE RESOLUTION OF THE NKR CONFLICT
NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 13, 2010
WASHINGTON
U.S. President Barack Obama discussed with his visiting Armenian
counterpart, Serzh Sarkisian, prospects for the normalization of
Turkish-Armenian relations and the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict during their first-ever talks held in Washington on Monday.
The White House did not immediately issue any statements on the talks
held on the sidelines of the nuclear security summit hosted by Obama.
The stalled Turkish-Armenian normalization process was expected to be
their key focus, with Washington seen as making last-ditch attempts
to salvage the U.S.-backed protocols signed by Ankara and Yerevan
last October.
Sarkisian’s office, for its part, gave few details of the meeting
which reportedly lasted for less than an hour. It said only that the
two leaders spoke about "the course of normalizing relations between
Armenia and Turkey" and "exchanged thoughts" on the current status
of the Karabakh peace process. They also discussed "prospects for
the development of bilateral Armenian-American relations," it said.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has been personally
involved in the Turkish-Armenian diplomacy, and Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian were also present at the talks.
According to radio "Liberty", Sarkisian and other Armenian leaders have
repeatedly praised the U.S. administration for backing their pursuit
of an unconditional and speedy implementation of the Turkish-Armenian
protocols. They have threatened to walk away from the agreements if
the Turks continue to link their parliamentary ratification with a
Karabakh settlement acceptable to Azerbaijan.
Sarkisian’s participation in the summit and face-to-face encounter
with Obama reflected Washington’s strong support for his conciliatory
policy on Turkey that has sparked serious controversy in Armenia and
its worldwide Diaspora. He is the first Armenian head of state to
meet a U.S. president in nine years.
Sarkisian’s predecessor, Robert Kocharian, and the late Azerbaijani
President Heydar Aliyev were separately received by President George
W.Bush in the White House after several days of U.S.-sponsored peace
negotiations held on the Florida island of Key West in April 2001.