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Ruben Safrastyan: Genocide Issue Remains On Armenia's Foreign Policy

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  • Ruben Safrastyan: Genocide Issue Remains On Armenia's Foreign Policy

    RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: GENOCIDE ISSUE REMAINS ON ARMENIA'S FOREIGN POLICY AGENDA

    armradio.am
    01.07.2008 17:05

    The Armenian Genocide issue remains on the agenda of Armenia's foreign
    policy, and RA President Serzh Sargsyan's latest statements on Turkey
    should not be viewed as divergence from this issue, Director of
    the Oriental studies Institute of RA National Academy of Sciences,
    Turkologist Ruben Safrastyan told a press conference today. He
    assessed President Serzh Sargsyan's move to invite Turkish President
    to watch the Armenia-Turkey football match as a daring step. "The
    suggestion made by our President is an attempt to overcome the crisis
    and there is a great probability that Turkey's President will accept
    the invitation," the Turkologist added.

    As for the creation of a commission of historians to investigate the
    Genocide issue, Ruben Safrastyan noted that turkey's Prime minister
    had already spoken about the establishment of the commission, but
    these are completely different proposals. He stressed that according
    to Turkish Prime Minister's suggestion, the historians were to discuss
    whether there was genocide or not, i.e. the commission would decide
    who was right.

    "However, Armenia's President speaks about discussion of the fact, and
    not its authenticity," the speaker noted. Ruben Safrastyan considers
    that creation of such a commission will benefit the Turkish society,
    since they will thus get an opportunity to familiarize themselves with
    the historic fact, which has not been accessible to them up until now.

    The Turkologist considers that if the commission is formed, it
    will include Turkish scholars who accept the fact of the Armenian
    Genocide. He noted that Turkish specialists who accept the fact of
    the Genocide use the term "pre-genocide" in order to avoid trial.

    Ruben Safrastyan does not consider formation of such a commission
    is probable, since "Turkey will not agree to open the border without
    concessions on the Genocide issue." He is sure, however, that Armenian
    historians are ready to work with their Turkish colleagues.
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