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  • BAKU: Italy opposes Turkey's EU admission

    AzerNews, Azerbaijan
    Dec 2 2004

    Italy opposes Turkey's EU admission

    Italy opposes admission of Turkey to the European Union (EU) and the
    latter may get the EU membership only in 2014, Italian Deputy Foreign
    Minister Margherita Boniver said in a meeting with Armenian Foreign
    Minister Vardan Oskanian last Tuesday. The Italian diplomat wished
    Turkey to open its borders with Armenia, which entered the EU New
    Neighborhood

    program this June, so that the former could be admitted to the EU.
    Turkey has repeatedly stated that it will not open its borders with
    Armenia unless the latter withdraws its armed forces from the
    occupied lands of Azerbaijan.
    The New Neighborhood program rejects the territorial claims by the EU
    member states against their neighbors.

    The Italian official seems not to have taken this into account and
    her country intends to create artificial obstacles for the admission
    of Turkey to the EU.
    With regard to including the issue on the occupied lands of
    Azerbaijan into the agenda of the UN General Assembly session,
    Boniver said she backs settlement of the Upper Garabagh conflict
    within the OSCE Minsk Group. The Italian diplomat stressed, however,
    that her country will abstain from voting on any decision at the UN.
    Former Italian Foreign Minister Mario Rafaelli was the first chairman
    of the OSCE Minsk Group in 1992-1993. Several discussions were held
    with the separatist regime of the Upper Garabagh in Rome in this
    period.
    The Italian deputy foreign minister's "warm attitude" towards Armenia
    may be explained by the increasing economic and trade relations
    between the two countries.
    The trade turnover between Italy and Armenia made up $49 million in
    2002 and $59 million in 2003.

    Disapproval
    Prime Minister Artur Rasizada, in a meeting with Boniver on Thursday,
    said he disapproves of her statement made in Yerevan that Italy would
    abstain from the mentioned UN vote.
    Boniver visited Baku as part of her tour of the South Caucasus
    region.
    Rasizada stated that Azerbaijan, unlike Armenia, has been subject to
    aggression, and that Azeri civilians have been ousted from their
    homes and the country's territories occupied. These facts should be
    taken into account when discussing the issue, the Azeri Prime
    Minister said.
    Touching upon economic relations, Rasizada said prospects exist for
    developing such cooperation. Italy is a leading country in terms of
    the turnover of goods with Azerbaijan, but most of the trade occurs
    on oil, he said. The Prime Minister pointed out that Italy's
    investments in Azerbaijan are insignificant and emphasized that Baku
    is interested in drawing Italian investors and this country's
    involvement in global transport projects.
    Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Boniver said that the documents
    signed during the current visit on establishing the Italy-Azerbaijan
    Economic Council and the joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry will
    serve strengthening of economic ties. She added that Italy can assist
    Azerbaijan in developing small and medium enterprise in the country,
    as her country possesses extensive experience in this area.
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