AMERICAN ANALYST SAYS ARMENIA TO BENEFIT FROM TURKEY’S EU ACCESSION
ARMENPRESS
Aug 14, 2007
YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS: A Yerevan-based American-Armenian
political analysts spoke today about weak signals coming from the
Turkey’s government and its army, which he said indicate that they have
started to comprehend the wisdom of lifting the blockade of Armenia.
The political analyst, Richard Giragosian, called these signals
‘revolutionary."
Speaking to a news conference Mr. Giragosian argued that the passage
of a resolution by the US Congress recognizing the 1915 Armenian
genocide would have no impact on Washington’s relationships with Ankara
‘because they are already bad.’ Mr. Giragosian further said that
Turkey and Armenia can normalize their relations only through boosting
economic ties, because ‘Turkey needs Armenia as an economic partner
to stabilize the situation in its eastern Kurdish-populated areas."
Mr. Giragosian also reiterated fears that Turkey’s accession to
EU with its 75 million population may pose a serious threat to
Europe’s integrity, but he said Armenia would benefit from a Turkish
EU membership, ‘because Ankara would have to reduce its military
spending and cut its armed forces.’ According to Mr. Giragosian,
Armenia may act as a go-between between Iran on one hand and the USA
and Europe on the other hand.