ARMENIA COULD EXPORT ELECTRICAL POWER TO TURKEY – SARGSYAN

Interfax
April 27 2010
Russia

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said Armenia could export electrical
power to Turkey and the countries of the Middle East, but cannot do
so because of the blocked border.

"Despite the fact that the process of settling our relations has been
suspended due to the lack of action taken by the Turkish government,
we see a potential for the export of electrical power to Turkey and
transit to the countries of the Middle East," Sargsyan said at the
11th meeting of the presidential Nuclear Power Security Council.

"The opening of this final blocked European border would help normalize
economic relations, including in the sphere of energy," Sargsyan said.

Sargsyan pointed out the importance of Armenia’s integration in the
world energy system and the republic’s participation in regional
energy projects.

There are currently no formal diplomatic relations between Armenia
and Turkey, as the two countries have major disagreements over the
events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire. A number of countries have
recognized the massacres in which, according to various sources, up
to 1.5 million people were killed, as genocide. Armenia is pressing
Turkey to recognize the massacre as the genocide of Armenians, but
Turkey is refusing to do so.