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U.S. AMBASSADOR ON ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS
News.am
10:36 / 10/10/2009
Below is an interview of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch
with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch downplayed on Friday the
Armenian nationalist outcry against rapprochement with Turkey, saying
that it alone is not indicative of public opinion in the country.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Yovanovitch also reiterated Washington's
strong and unequivocal support for the fence-mending agreements that
are due to be signed by Ankara and Yerevan on Saturday. She described
them as a "very, very significant step forward" that will be "critical
for the entire region" and bring Armenia substantial economic benefits.
The diplomat seemed confident that angry protests staged by nationalist
opposition groups in and outside Armenia will not derail a process
which she said has exceeded U.S. expectations.
"In terms of the very vigorous debate that has surrounded this issue,
there is no question that this is a controversial issue," she said. "It
is a bold foreign policy move both by President [Sargsyan] and the
Turkish leadership.
"Therefore, I think it's natural -- and it would certainly happen in
the United States -- that there is a lot of discussion about this and
that there are going to be very strong views both for and against. And
I think what we've seen on TV, in the blogs and newspapers over the
last couple of weeks is an example of that."
"But I think that there are also many people, at least many people
that I've spoken with, who are very much in favor of the protocols,
in favor of normalization," added Yovanovitch. "That doesn't mean
that they think every word is perfect. But they think that the general
trend is a positive one. I think that's important to remember."
The far-reaching Turkish-Armenian protocols have stirred passions in
Armenia and its Diaspora communities abroad and the United States in
particular. Some Armenian-American organi e as a sellout of Armenian
national interests engineered by the U.S. administration. But several
other community groups have defended President Serzh Sargsyan's
conciliatory policy, arguing that it has yielded a formal Turkish
commitment to normalize relations with Armenia without preconditions.
Citing Sargsyan's "crystal clear" statements, Yovanovitch insisted that
there is no direct link between the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement and
international efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. She
also denied allegations by some Armenian opposition figures that the
U.S. is turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in Armenia because
of Sargsyan's readiness to make peace with Turkey and Azerbaijan.
News.am
10:36 / 10/10/2009
Below is an interview of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch
with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch downplayed on Friday the
Armenian nationalist outcry against rapprochement with Turkey, saying
that it alone is not indicative of public opinion in the country.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Yovanovitch also reiterated Washington's
strong and unequivocal support for the fence-mending agreements that
are due to be signed by Ankara and Yerevan on Saturday. She described
them as a "very, very significant step forward" that will be "critical
for the entire region" and bring Armenia substantial economic benefits.
The diplomat seemed confident that angry protests staged by nationalist
opposition groups in and outside Armenia will not derail a process
which she said has exceeded U.S. expectations.
"In terms of the very vigorous debate that has surrounded this issue,
there is no question that this is a controversial issue," she said. "It
is a bold foreign policy move both by President [Sargsyan] and the
Turkish leadership.
"Therefore, I think it's natural -- and it would certainly happen in
the United States -- that there is a lot of discussion about this and
that there are going to be very strong views both for and against. And
I think what we've seen on TV, in the blogs and newspapers over the
last couple of weeks is an example of that."
"But I think that there are also many people, at least many people
that I've spoken with, who are very much in favor of the protocols,
in favor of normalization," added Yovanovitch. "That doesn't mean
that they think every word is perfect. But they think that the general
trend is a positive one. I think that's important to remember."
The far-reaching Turkish-Armenian protocols have stirred passions in
Armenia and its Diaspora communities abroad and the United States in
particular. Some Armenian-American organi e as a sellout of Armenian
national interests engineered by the U.S. administration. But several
other community groups have defended President Serzh Sargsyan's
conciliatory policy, arguing that it has yielded a formal Turkish
commitment to normalize relations with Armenia without preconditions.
Citing Sargsyan's "crystal clear" statements, Yovanovitch insisted that
there is no direct link between the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement and
international efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. She
also denied allegations by some Armenian opposition figures that the
U.S. is turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in Armenia because
of Sargsyan's readiness to make peace with Turkey and Azerbaijan.