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Interfax, Russia
July 31 2009
YEREVAN HAS DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS
Armenia has done its best to normalize Armenian-Turkish relations,
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said while meeting with the
participants of the program Come Home on the coat of Lake Sevan on
Thursday, Armenian media reported.
"Over the course of one year we conducted negotiations with Turkey,
which had a normal atmosphere. We reached an agreement on two
documents, but after that some Turkish officials tried to offer
preconditions to us and tie Armenian-Turkish relations to the Karabakh
conflict and Armenian- Azeri relations. Any preconditions are
unacceptable to Armenia," Sargsyan said.
"Turkey has to understand that we cannot talk about preconditions in
the 21st century. Any precondition, any tough approach leads to
resistance," said Sargsyan.
"We realize that Turkey is a large and powerful state. We know very
well the role of Turkey in our region and the whole world, but the
Turks should accept that fact that we are Armenians and that we are an
independent state," Sargsyan said.
According to Turkish media reports, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu said before leaving for Lebanon on Thursday that Turkey had
no preconditions for Armenia, but had one demand: "respect
international law and free the occupied Azeri land."
"Turkey has manifested and continues to manifest good will aimed at
improving the relations with its neighbors, including Armenia. But
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's statements cause our regret and do
not contribute to the normalization of relations. We have no
preconditions for Armenia, but we have one demand: respect
international law and free the occupied Azeri land. We believe that
President Sargsyan has chosen the wrong path," Davutoglu said.
July 31 2009
YEREVAN HAS DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS
Armenia has done its best to normalize Armenian-Turkish relations,
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said while meeting with the
participants of the program Come Home on the coat of Lake Sevan on
Thursday, Armenian media reported.
"Over the course of one year we conducted negotiations with Turkey,
which had a normal atmosphere. We reached an agreement on two
documents, but after that some Turkish officials tried to offer
preconditions to us and tie Armenian-Turkish relations to the Karabakh
conflict and Armenian- Azeri relations. Any preconditions are
unacceptable to Armenia," Sargsyan said.
"Turkey has to understand that we cannot talk about preconditions in
the 21st century. Any precondition, any tough approach leads to
resistance," said Sargsyan.
"We realize that Turkey is a large and powerful state. We know very
well the role of Turkey in our region and the whole world, but the
Turks should accept that fact that we are Armenians and that we are an
independent state," Sargsyan said.
According to Turkish media reports, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu said before leaving for Lebanon on Thursday that Turkey had
no preconditions for Armenia, but had one demand: "respect
international law and free the occupied Azeri land."
"Turkey has manifested and continues to manifest good will aimed at
improving the relations with its neighbors, including Armenia. But
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's statements cause our regret and do
not contribute to the normalization of relations. We have no
preconditions for Armenia, but we have one demand: respect
international law and free the occupied Azeri land. We believe that
President Sargsyan has chosen the wrong path," Davutoglu said.