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CONFERENCE ON ARMENIA-TURKEY BORDER OPENING MISLEADING, SAYS ARF'S MANOYAN
ASBAREZ
Yerkir
1/17/2007
YEREVAN (Yerkir)--At the conclusion of a conference to discuss the
socio-political ramifications of opening the Turkish-Armenian border,
Armenian Revolutionary Federation's Political Director Giro Manoyan
Tuesday said the conference was misleading in its nature and purpose.
Manoyan said the conference, organized by the US Agency for
International Development, framed the border closure issue resolution
as one where Armenia would be forced to make serious concessions.
The issue was framed as if "Armenia had closed its borders with Turkey,
and it must be forced to abandon its basic foreign policy principles in
return for some kind of a 'economic' benefit," said Manoyan, describing
the tenor in which this issue was presented in a misleading way.
He stressed that Western governments have said that the opening of the
border would be economically beneficial to Armenia, thus urging the
population to pressure their elected officials to make concessions in
order to ensure an open border. "This is unacceptable," said Manoyan.
The ARF political leader added that Turkey could one day declare that
the "border is open" under some circumstance. He said Armenia should
be ready both politically and in terms of legislation to such a policy.
Manoyan said that Turkey had been keeping its border closed to
weaken Armenia and not necessarily as a protest to efforts to garner
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Manoyan warned that the people and government of Armenia should be
prepared to deal with a scenario whereby Turkey announces its intention
to open its borders, placing unacceptable preconditions on Armenia.
Turkey must establish normal relations with all its neighbors in the
region without preconditions, said Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister
Arman Kirakosyan in his opening remarks at the conference.
Kirakosyan explained that the Turkish government did not implement the
European Union's condition, whereby a candidate state must establish
good-neighborly relations with all the states in the region.
The deputy minister stressed that his ministry welcomed any attempt
aimed at opening the Armenian-Turkish border. "Up until now the brunt
of relations between Turkey and Armenia have been through social
organizations and not governmental interaction," said Kirakosyan.
In 2005 the Armenian President sent a letter to the Turkish authorities
proposing the creation of a joint commission to establish dialogue
between the two countries. Kirakosyan explained that the Armenian
government had not received a response from Turkey.
Kirakosyan, once again, reiterated Armenia's willingness to establish
dialogue with Turkey--without any preconditions, which are the
Armenian Genocide recognition issue and the Karabakh conflict
resolution process.
ASBAREZ
Yerkir
1/17/2007
YEREVAN (Yerkir)--At the conclusion of a conference to discuss the
socio-political ramifications of opening the Turkish-Armenian border,
Armenian Revolutionary Federation's Political Director Giro Manoyan
Tuesday said the conference was misleading in its nature and purpose.
Manoyan said the conference, organized by the US Agency for
International Development, framed the border closure issue resolution
as one where Armenia would be forced to make serious concessions.
The issue was framed as if "Armenia had closed its borders with Turkey,
and it must be forced to abandon its basic foreign policy principles in
return for some kind of a 'economic' benefit," said Manoyan, describing
the tenor in which this issue was presented in a misleading way.
He stressed that Western governments have said that the opening of the
border would be economically beneficial to Armenia, thus urging the
population to pressure their elected officials to make concessions in
order to ensure an open border. "This is unacceptable," said Manoyan.
The ARF political leader added that Turkey could one day declare that
the "border is open" under some circumstance. He said Armenia should
be ready both politically and in terms of legislation to such a policy.
Manoyan said that Turkey had been keeping its border closed to
weaken Armenia and not necessarily as a protest to efforts to garner
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Manoyan warned that the people and government of Armenia should be
prepared to deal with a scenario whereby Turkey announces its intention
to open its borders, placing unacceptable preconditions on Armenia.
Turkey must establish normal relations with all its neighbors in the
region without preconditions, said Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister
Arman Kirakosyan in his opening remarks at the conference.
Kirakosyan explained that the Turkish government did not implement the
European Union's condition, whereby a candidate state must establish
good-neighborly relations with all the states in the region.
The deputy minister stressed that his ministry welcomed any attempt
aimed at opening the Armenian-Turkish border. "Up until now the brunt
of relations between Turkey and Armenia have been through social
organizations and not governmental interaction," said Kirakosyan.
In 2005 the Armenian President sent a letter to the Turkish authorities
proposing the creation of a joint commission to establish dialogue
between the two countries. Kirakosyan explained that the Armenian
government had not received a response from Turkey.
Kirakosyan, once again, reiterated Armenia's willingness to establish
dialogue with Turkey--without any preconditions, which are the
Armenian Genocide recognition issue and the Karabakh conflict
resolution process.