AT PRESENT ARMENIA NOT READY FOR OPENING ARMENIAN-TURKEY BORDER, ARTAK SHAKARIAN SAYS

NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 14, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. "If the version acceptable to Turkey
has been satisfied in the Armenia-Turkey process today and if the
Armenian side has not achieved a desirable result, it means that
Armenia has suffered a regression," Artak Shakarian, a Turkologist,
said during the April 14 press conference, adding at the same time that
the Armenian side is in a favorable position because the rapprochement
process has reached a deadlock because of Turkey.

Reminding that the purpose the Armenian leadership’s policy of
initiative was the opening of the border, A. Shakarian declared that
at present Armenia is not ready for border opening from both the
economic and psychological point of view.

Commenting on the Washington meeting of Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the
Turkologist noted that the United States has organized that meeting
to demonstrate that the process is continuing and that addressing the
Genocide problem would only harm the reconciliation of the two states.

According to A. Shakarian, these tactics of the U.S. administration
indicate that President Obama will again avoid using the word
"genocide" on April 24 and will use the expression "great catastrophe"
instead. "Unfortunately, the Turkish-U.S. relations are at such
a high level today that the U.S. continues to assist Turkey,"
A. Shakarian said.

As for the Turks’ posture, in the words of A. Shakarian, they tend
to stop active actions after reaching their goal. By his forecasts,
after April 24 Turkey will again keep silent.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress