Armenia may exploit genocide issue as geopolitical factor: expert

YEREVAN, May 14, /ARKA/. A prominent Armenian expert in Turkish
studies said today the official Yerevan may exploit the issue of
Genocide committed against Armenians by the Ottoman Turkey during WWI
as a geopolitical factor.

Speaking at a news conference Ruben Safrastian, director of Oriental
Studies Institute, an affiliation of Armenian Academy of Sciences,
said by using the genocide as a geopolitical factor when contacting
with Turkey Armenia may achieve success.

He said now is a good time for official Yerevan to step up efforts for
international recognition of the genocide, but admitted this is going
to be a very difficult job, adding that from the geopolitical
perspective now is the best time for doing so.

Safrastian downplayed concerns in Armenia that the warming
Turkish-Russian relations, supported by several key agreements, signed
this week during Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Turkey,
may affect the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement process.

`The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have repeatedly said they do not wish
to see Turkey as a fourth co-chair and besides, Turkey’s involvement
in the peace process does not stem from Russia’s interests, since it
is Russia’s main rival in the region. I think we can be calm in this
regard,’ Safrastian said. -0-