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Interfax, Russia
Sept 18 2009
Rapprochement with Turkey requires public debate - Armenian president
YEREVAN Sept 18
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said he would promote a public
debate on the normalization in Armenian- Turkish relations.
"Various formats have been offered for the coming weeks, and I myself
will be an initiator and participant in the discussions," Sargsyan
told political party leaders during consultations on ways to settle
relations with Turkey, according to the presidential press service on
Thursday.
"I have thoroughly studied various opinions, [which have been] voiced
publicly. I have heard positive and encouraging calls, I have heard
criticism, including sharp criticism, and I have heard concerns.
If course, I see the risks and I have my own concerns. But in order to
compare our concerns, to assess the risks correctly and to understand
them we will have to do a great deal of work, we must manage to bring
all our criticism together, he said.
"When inviting the Turkish president to Armenia and initiating the
whole process, I pursued two goals - to open a window of opportunity
to settle bilateral relations, and to demonstrate that Armenia as a
nation that has gone through the horrors of genocide, and being
faithful and committed to the pain of its people, is strong enough to
be the first to hold out its hand and say that it is senseless to move
against the current development of the world," the Armenian president
said.
Tensions between Armenia and Turkey "are not a war between the upper
leaders," he said.
"I do not deem the assertion of diplomatic relations with Turkey and
the opening of the border to be the minimum or maximum programs. I see
the finalization of these processes exclusively as the minimal
environment for starting a dialogue with the Turks," he said.
On August 31, Armenia and Turkey announced they had tentatively signed
protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations and promotion
of ties between the two countries. Before the protocols are signed and
ratified by the two parliaments, they must be discussed nationwide.
The Armenian president's consultations on Thursday involved the
leaders of 52 political parties.
Meanwhile, the Armenian revolutionary federation Dashnaktsutyun
expressed discontent with the current consultations and its spokesman
Armed Rustamian told the press that no changes will be made in the
Armenian-Turkish protocols before their signing.
Sept 18 2009
Rapprochement with Turkey requires public debate - Armenian president
YEREVAN Sept 18
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said he would promote a public
debate on the normalization in Armenian- Turkish relations.
"Various formats have been offered for the coming weeks, and I myself
will be an initiator and participant in the discussions," Sargsyan
told political party leaders during consultations on ways to settle
relations with Turkey, according to the presidential press service on
Thursday.
"I have thoroughly studied various opinions, [which have been] voiced
publicly. I have heard positive and encouraging calls, I have heard
criticism, including sharp criticism, and I have heard concerns.
If course, I see the risks and I have my own concerns. But in order to
compare our concerns, to assess the risks correctly and to understand
them we will have to do a great deal of work, we must manage to bring
all our criticism together, he said.
"When inviting the Turkish president to Armenia and initiating the
whole process, I pursued two goals - to open a window of opportunity
to settle bilateral relations, and to demonstrate that Armenia as a
nation that has gone through the horrors of genocide, and being
faithful and committed to the pain of its people, is strong enough to
be the first to hold out its hand and say that it is senseless to move
against the current development of the world," the Armenian president
said.
Tensions between Armenia and Turkey "are not a war between the upper
leaders," he said.
"I do not deem the assertion of diplomatic relations with Turkey and
the opening of the border to be the minimum or maximum programs. I see
the finalization of these processes exclusively as the minimal
environment for starting a dialogue with the Turks," he said.
On August 31, Armenia and Turkey announced they had tentatively signed
protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations and promotion
of ties between the two countries. Before the protocols are signed and
ratified by the two parliaments, they must be discussed nationwide.
The Armenian president's consultations on Thursday involved the
leaders of 52 political parties.
Meanwhile, the Armenian revolutionary federation Dashnaktsutyun
expressed discontent with the current consultations and its spokesman
Armed Rustamian told the press that no changes will be made in the
Armenian-Turkish protocols before their signing.