GORAN LENNMARKER: "TURKEY SHOULD OVERCOME ITS PAST, ACCEPTING THE FACT OF "GENOCIDE OF ARMENIANS", AND JOIN THE EUROPEAN UNION"
Today.Az
http://www.today.az/news/pol itics/47449.html
Sept 8 2008
Azerbaijan
Armenia has a historical chance to help Turkey become a modern
European country, said Goran Lennmarker, special representative of
the chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on Karabakh conflict
and special rapporteur on the situation in Georgia and South Ossetia,
while meeting with speaker of Armenian parliament Tigran Torosyan.
Lennmarker appreciated Armenia's policy in the region, noting that
he expects progress in the Armenian-Turkish relations following
the visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Yerevan to watch the
Armenia-Turkey football match.
"Armenia has a historical chance to help Turkey, where powerful forces
want to turn it into a modern European country, but face problems in
this issue", sources in the public policy department of the Armenian
parliament reported with reference to Lennmarker.
He said Turkey, which is a Muslim country, often do not separate
state and religion, while the working government, whose members are
religious people, wants it, which is important in the sense of closing
to the European policy.
"Turkey should overcome its past, accepting the fact of "genocide
of Armenians", and become EU member, when the country will have
the standards, generally approved in the EU members, including
protected human rights, democracy, absence of corruption", said OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly representative.
Goran Lennmarker stressed importance of establishing Armenian-Turkish
relations. He said the first step for it should become the opening of
the border between the two countries, blocked by Turkey unilaterally.
He noted that normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations may have
a psychological influence of Turkey which will not allow nationalistic
powers to occupy a dominating position and enable Turkey to become
a really European country.
The Armenian speaker in turn noted that Armenia always stressed
readiness to establish relations without preconditions, yet Turkey
sets some provisions.
"Nevertheless, it is now necessary to eye the future with hope. There
are serious clashes of interests of different countries in the region,
yet the regional countries should display interest in cooperation
for establishing peace, security and welfare", noted Torosyan.
Today.Az
http://www.today.az/news/pol itics/47449.html
Sept 8 2008
Azerbaijan
Armenia has a historical chance to help Turkey become a modern
European country, said Goran Lennmarker, special representative of
the chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on Karabakh conflict
and special rapporteur on the situation in Georgia and South Ossetia,
while meeting with speaker of Armenian parliament Tigran Torosyan.
Lennmarker appreciated Armenia's policy in the region, noting that
he expects progress in the Armenian-Turkish relations following
the visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Yerevan to watch the
Armenia-Turkey football match.
"Armenia has a historical chance to help Turkey, where powerful forces
want to turn it into a modern European country, but face problems in
this issue", sources in the public policy department of the Armenian
parliament reported with reference to Lennmarker.
He said Turkey, which is a Muslim country, often do not separate
state and religion, while the working government, whose members are
religious people, wants it, which is important in the sense of closing
to the European policy.
"Turkey should overcome its past, accepting the fact of "genocide
of Armenians", and become EU member, when the country will have
the standards, generally approved in the EU members, including
protected human rights, democracy, absence of corruption", said OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly representative.
Goran Lennmarker stressed importance of establishing Armenian-Turkish
relations. He said the first step for it should become the opening of
the border between the two countries, blocked by Turkey unilaterally.
He noted that normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations may have
a psychological influence of Turkey which will not allow nationalistic
powers to occupy a dominating position and enable Turkey to become
a really European country.
The Armenian speaker in turn noted that Armenia always stressed
readiness to establish relations without preconditions, yet Turkey
sets some provisions.
"Nevertheless, it is now necessary to eye the future with hope. There
are serious clashes of interests of different countries in the region,
yet the regional countries should display interest in cooperation
for establishing peace, security and welfare", noted Torosyan.