CONFERENCE CONVENED ON ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS
armradio.am
21.05.2008 10:54
Eurasia Partnership Foundation, together with the Analytical Center
for Globalization and Regional Cooperation NGO and with funding from
USAID, held an international conference on Armenia-Turkey relations
on May 20 at the Congress Hotel in Yerevan. The conference, entitled
"Global Challenges and Threats: Are Joint Efforts between Armenia
and Turkey Possible?"
brought together a number of distinguished experts from Turkey and
Armenia, representatives of diplomatic missions and international
organizations accredited to Armenia, political scientists, economists
and legal experts, as well as media representatives.
The conference examined whether the European aspirations of Turkey
and Armenia will diminish the historical and political differences
between the two nations. The conference also explored the capacity
of Armenian and Turkish analytical centers and expert communities
to play any significant role in the process. The Analytical Center
for Globalization and Regional Cooperation and their Turkish partner
Diba Nigar Goksel (Analyst of the European Stability Initiative and
Editor of the Turkish Policy Quarterly) also presented a survey of
political and civil society elites from Armenia and Turkey.
Keynote speakers included Diba Nigar Goksel; Cem Toker (Leader of
Liberal-Democratic Party, Turkey), Arda Batu (Member of the Board of
the ARI Movement, Turkey), Stepan Grigoryan (Chairman, Analytical
Center for Globalization and Regional Cooperation, Armenia), Armen
Ashotyan (Member of the National Assembly of Armenia), and Alexander
Iskandarian (Director of the Caucasus Media Institute, Armenia).
"By supporting partnerships between Armenian and Turkish citizens,
Eurasia Partnership Foundation aims to promote cross-border contacts
that will improve mutual understanding between the two countries"
said Gevorg Ter-Gabrielyan, Country Director of Eurasia Partnership
Foundation in Armenia. He added, "Increased understanding can
contribute to the formation of professional cross-border networks,
promote tolerance among the two societies, and, over the longer term,
accelerate the normalization of inter-state relations."
The conference is part of Eurasia Partnership Foundation’s
Armenia-Turkey Initiative, which promotes improved dialogue and
cooperation between representatives of the non-government, government
and private sectors in Armenia and their Turkish counterparts.