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ARMENIA: FOREIGN MINISTER APPEALS FOR EU PRESSURE ON TURKEY
By Ahto Lobjakas
Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
Oct 9 2007
October 9, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
today called on the European Union to press Turkey to open its border
with Armenia, saying Yerevan has no preconditions for normalizing
relations with Ankara.
Addressing the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in
Brussels, Oskanian admitted that there are "outstanding issues" in
the countries' relations, but said that none should stand in the way
of dialogue.
Armenia and Turkey continue to disagree over the status of
Nagorno-Karabakh, the disputed ethnic-Armenian region in Azerbaijan,
and are clearly at odds over the interpretation of the mass killings
of Armenians that took place in Ottoman Turkey between 1915-18.
Oskanian's comments mirror those he made last week in New York, where
he attended the 62nd session of UN General Assembly and met with his
Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan.
They also come as a U.S. Congressional committee prepares to consider
on October 10 a draft resolution that would define the World War
I-era killings as genocide.
Oskanian appealed to the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs
Committee to put more pressure on Turkey to open a dialogue with
Armenia. He said land-locked Armenia is particularly keen to see Turkey
lift the border blockade it imposed against Armenia in the early 1990s.
"The border opening is not only important for Armenia, but it's also
important for the European Union, because Turkey is the natural bridge
between the Caucasus and Europe, and the European Union," Oskanian
said. "Without Turkey's equitable and even-handed policy vis-a-vis
our region, our relationship is not as effective as it could have
been under conditions of normal ties between Turkey and Armenia."
An Urgent Issue
Oskanian's call was met with some sympathy among the European deputies
in attendance. The chairwoman of the European Parliament's delegation
for the South Caucasus, Marie Anne Isler-Beguin, said the bloc was
not putting enough pressure on Turkey during EU-accession talks.
Isler-Beguin said opening the border would greatly benefit both
sides. An impact study on the effects of the border closure on
both Armenia and Turkey found that it is "really urgent to open the
border for the good of the populations on both sides," she said. The
European Parliament is scheduled to hold a hearing on the issue in
early November, during which the study will be made public.
Oskanian criticized the EU for its "neutrality" on the issue, an
attitude he said was understandable, but misplaced.
He claimed that while Armenia has no preconditions to pursue closer
links between the two countries, Turkey does. He dismissed Ankara's
concern that Armenia harbors territorial claims against it, saying
the border between the two countries is "clearly marked" and conforms
to the boundary set out in a 1922 treaty between Turkey and the
Soviet Union.
Oskanian also said Armenia's conflict with Azerbaijan over the
ethnic-Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh does not involve Turkey
and should not be raised by Ankara in a bilateral context.
He also rejected a call by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan to set up a commission to study the events of 1915-18. He
said talks on the issue remain impossible as long as Turkey's penal
code continues to criminalize any depiction of the mass killings as
"genocide." Oskanian also said dialogue was impossible as long as
the border between the two countries is closed.
Balancing Between East And West
Armenia's difficulties with Turkey undermine much of the country's
policy of "complementarity," its balancing act in relation to its
neighbors and global players with an interest in the region.
Oskanian explained the policy as a refusal to "choose between East
and West" in other countries' disputes and conflicts, and to remain
"considerate" to everyone's interests.
"For countries like Armenia there is no reason to choose between one
[side] and another. We will benefit from all the opportunities that
are available from all sides in security terms, energy terms, economic,
and otherwise, so that we augment the end product as much as we can,"
Oskanian said.
Oskanian defended Armenia's heavy reliance on Russia in security and
energy issues, saying both were necessitated by blockades imposed
by neighbors.
He also described as "absolutely inappropriate" Azerbaijan's attempts
to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh at the United Nations. He said Armenia
believes the OSCE Minsk Group remains the only appropriate venue for
talks on the frozen conflict.
Oskanian said the OSCE talks have revealed "serious prospects of
resolution," noting that only four issues remain from a three-page
document addressing the "basic principles" of resolving the conflict.
Oskanian said that so far the two countries' leaders have been unable
to come to a consensus on the four issues, but expressed hope that the
differences could be overcome before Armenia's presidential elections
in February 2008.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
By Ahto Lobjakas
Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
Oct 9 2007
October 9, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
today called on the European Union to press Turkey to open its border
with Armenia, saying Yerevan has no preconditions for normalizing
relations with Ankara.
Addressing the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in
Brussels, Oskanian admitted that there are "outstanding issues" in
the countries' relations, but said that none should stand in the way
of dialogue.
Armenia and Turkey continue to disagree over the status of
Nagorno-Karabakh, the disputed ethnic-Armenian region in Azerbaijan,
and are clearly at odds over the interpretation of the mass killings
of Armenians that took place in Ottoman Turkey between 1915-18.
Oskanian's comments mirror those he made last week in New York, where
he attended the 62nd session of UN General Assembly and met with his
Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan.
They also come as a U.S. Congressional committee prepares to consider
on October 10 a draft resolution that would define the World War
I-era killings as genocide.
Oskanian appealed to the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs
Committee to put more pressure on Turkey to open a dialogue with
Armenia. He said land-locked Armenia is particularly keen to see Turkey
lift the border blockade it imposed against Armenia in the early 1990s.
"The border opening is not only important for Armenia, but it's also
important for the European Union, because Turkey is the natural bridge
between the Caucasus and Europe, and the European Union," Oskanian
said. "Without Turkey's equitable and even-handed policy vis-a-vis
our region, our relationship is not as effective as it could have
been under conditions of normal ties between Turkey and Armenia."
An Urgent Issue
Oskanian's call was met with some sympathy among the European deputies
in attendance. The chairwoman of the European Parliament's delegation
for the South Caucasus, Marie Anne Isler-Beguin, said the bloc was
not putting enough pressure on Turkey during EU-accession talks.
Isler-Beguin said opening the border would greatly benefit both
sides. An impact study on the effects of the border closure on
both Armenia and Turkey found that it is "really urgent to open the
border for the good of the populations on both sides," she said. The
European Parliament is scheduled to hold a hearing on the issue in
early November, during which the study will be made public.
Oskanian criticized the EU for its "neutrality" on the issue, an
attitude he said was understandable, but misplaced.
He claimed that while Armenia has no preconditions to pursue closer
links between the two countries, Turkey does. He dismissed Ankara's
concern that Armenia harbors territorial claims against it, saying
the border between the two countries is "clearly marked" and conforms
to the boundary set out in a 1922 treaty between Turkey and the
Soviet Union.
Oskanian also said Armenia's conflict with Azerbaijan over the
ethnic-Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh does not involve Turkey
and should not be raised by Ankara in a bilateral context.
He also rejected a call by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan to set up a commission to study the events of 1915-18. He
said talks on the issue remain impossible as long as Turkey's penal
code continues to criminalize any depiction of the mass killings as
"genocide." Oskanian also said dialogue was impossible as long as
the border between the two countries is closed.
Balancing Between East And West
Armenia's difficulties with Turkey undermine much of the country's
policy of "complementarity," its balancing act in relation to its
neighbors and global players with an interest in the region.
Oskanian explained the policy as a refusal to "choose between East
and West" in other countries' disputes and conflicts, and to remain
"considerate" to everyone's interests.
"For countries like Armenia there is no reason to choose between one
[side] and another. We will benefit from all the opportunities that
are available from all sides in security terms, energy terms, economic,
and otherwise, so that we augment the end product as much as we can,"
Oskanian said.
Oskanian defended Armenia's heavy reliance on Russia in security and
energy issues, saying both were necessitated by blockades imposed
by neighbors.
He also described as "absolutely inappropriate" Azerbaijan's attempts
to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh at the United Nations. He said Armenia
believes the OSCE Minsk Group remains the only appropriate venue for
talks on the frozen conflict.
Oskanian said the OSCE talks have revealed "serious prospects of
resolution," noting that only four issues remain from a three-page
document addressing the "basic principles" of resolving the conflict.
Oskanian said that so far the two countries' leaders have been unable
to come to a consensus on the four issues, but expressed hope that the
differences could be overcome before Armenia's presidential elections
in February 2008.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress