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RIA Novosti, Russia
Jan 18 2007
Armenia ready to open Turkish border, join railway project
13:24 | 18/ 01/ 2007
TBILISI, January 18 (RIA Novosti) - Armenia is ready to open its
border with Turkey and join a major railway project to connect Turkey
and Georgia, an Armenian deputy foreign minister said Thursday.
Armenia and Turkey have not had diplomatic relations since an alleged
1915 Armenian genocide that is said to have claimed the lives of
about 1.5 million Armenians. Turkey has consistently denied the
genocide charges.
"There are certain problems, because Armenia and Turkey have no
diplomatic relations," Gegam Garibdzhanyan said. "Armenia is ready to
open its border with Turkey, and is ready for counter-proposals."
The diplomat said Armenia was also ready to join the
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway project.
"We already have the Kars-Gyumri-Akhalkalaki railway, which has not
been used since the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the countries
in the region gained independence," he said. "If the border between
Armenia and Turkey is opened, the railway could be opened practically
the following day."
Gabridzhanyan said: "The closer the countries in the region cooperate
and the further Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia develop their
economic relations, the safer the region will be for everyone."
Turkey imposed a blockade on Armenia after the ex-Soviet republic
became embroiled in a conflict with Azerbaijan over the region of
Nagorno-Karabakh, which has an Armenian majority and has been seeking
independence, but Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize
Armenia's independence in 1991.
The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh first erupted in 1988 when it
declared its independence from Azerbaijan and moved to join Armenia.
Over 30,000 people were killed on both sides between 1988 and 1994,
and over 100 died following a 1994 ceasefire. Nagorno-Karabakh
remained in Armenian hands, but tensions between Azerbaijan and
Armenia have persisted, and Azerbaijan is determined to restore its
control over the separatist region.
Jan 18 2007
Armenia ready to open Turkish border, join railway project
13:24 | 18/ 01/ 2007
TBILISI, January 18 (RIA Novosti) - Armenia is ready to open its
border with Turkey and join a major railway project to connect Turkey
and Georgia, an Armenian deputy foreign minister said Thursday.
Armenia and Turkey have not had diplomatic relations since an alleged
1915 Armenian genocide that is said to have claimed the lives of
about 1.5 million Armenians. Turkey has consistently denied the
genocide charges.
"There are certain problems, because Armenia and Turkey have no
diplomatic relations," Gegam Garibdzhanyan said. "Armenia is ready to
open its border with Turkey, and is ready for counter-proposals."
The diplomat said Armenia was also ready to join the
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway project.
"We already have the Kars-Gyumri-Akhalkalaki railway, which has not
been used since the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the countries
in the region gained independence," he said. "If the border between
Armenia and Turkey is opened, the railway could be opened practically
the following day."
Gabridzhanyan said: "The closer the countries in the region cooperate
and the further Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia develop their
economic relations, the safer the region will be for everyone."
Turkey imposed a blockade on Armenia after the ex-Soviet republic
became embroiled in a conflict with Azerbaijan over the region of
Nagorno-Karabakh, which has an Armenian majority and has been seeking
independence, but Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize
Armenia's independence in 1991.
The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh first erupted in 1988 when it
declared its independence from Azerbaijan and moved to join Armenia.
Over 30,000 people were killed on both sides between 1988 and 1994,
and over 100 died following a 1994 ceasefire. Nagorno-Karabakh
remained in Armenian hands, but tensions between Azerbaijan and
Armenia have persisted, and Azerbaijan is determined to restore its
control over the separatist region.