Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ANKARA: EU official says Turkey must strengthen ties with Armenia

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ANKARA: EU official says Turkey must strengthen ties with Armenia

    EU official says Turkey must strengthen ties with Armenia

    Anatolia news agency, Ankara
    19 Jun 05

    Kars, 19 June: Turkey-European Union (EU) Joint Parliamentary
    Commission Co-Chairman Joost Lagendijk has indicated that Turkey's most
    important task in its EU process is good relations with its neighbours.

    Lagendijk was at the Kars Mayor Naif Alibeyoglu's office yesterday
    where he made some comments on Turkey-EU relations.

    "Turkey must strengthen its relations with Armenia. Nothing can be
    achieved with isolationist policies. I believe that Azerbaijan can
    get back its territory through dialogue. The EU must play an active
    role to find a solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani dispute. We must
    look at the Turkey-Armenia and Armenia-Azerbaijan problems as ones
    separate from each other," told Lagendijk.

    According to Lagendijk, it is vital to have regional policies to
    develop the economy in poor areas. "We agree with Mr Erdogan on his
    stance vis-a-vis Armenia. An independent committee of historians must
    be formed to study the incidents of early 20th century. Independent
    studies must take place on the events of 1915. However, the border
    gate between Turkey and Armenia must be opened soon," said Lagendijk.

    Meanwhile, Kars Mayor Naif Alibeyoglu stressed that the people of
    Kars wholeheartedly support Turkey's EU membership. "The EU is a
    goal outlined by Kemal Ataturk. We want to be a part of the EU,"
    noted Alibeyoglu.
Working...
X