US AMBASSADOR DISAPPOINTED WITH LACK OF PROGRESS IN ARMENIA-TURKEY RECONCILIATION
YEREVAN, December 19. /ARKA/. The lack of progress in Armenia-Turkey
reconciliation is disappointing, said US ambassador to Armenia John
Heffern who is completing his mission in the country, Novosti-Armenia
reported.
He said during his tenure in Armenia his biggest disappointment was
about the Armenian-Turkish protocols.
The envoy said they expected that the protocols would be ratified
resulting in the opening of the border and establishment of diplomatic
relations between the two countries. But the lack of progress is
disappointing, he said.
At the same time, the ambassador said, the US will continue support
Yerevan-Ankara reconciliation.
There are currently no diplomatic relations established between Turkey
and Armenia: official Ankara closed the border in 1993. The uneasy
relationship between the countries is caused particularly by Ankara's
support to Azerbaijan on Karabakh problem and Turkey's overreaction
to international recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman
Empire.
Some reconciliation in the relations started in autumn 2008 initiated
by Armenia's president Serzh Sargsyan. Foreign ministers of Armenia
and Turkey signed protocols about establishing diplomatic relations
in Zurich on October 10 2009 to be ratified by the parliaments. On
April 22 2010 Armenia's president Sargsyan suspended the ratification
process saying Turkey was not ready to continue the process.
Ratification of the protocols has been frozen. -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/us_ambassador_disappointed_with_lack_of_progress_i n_armenia_turkey_reconciliation/#sthash.VgZA4UZf.dpuf
From: Baghdasarian
YEREVAN, December 19. /ARKA/. The lack of progress in Armenia-Turkey
reconciliation is disappointing, said US ambassador to Armenia John
Heffern who is completing his mission in the country, Novosti-Armenia
reported.
He said during his tenure in Armenia his biggest disappointment was
about the Armenian-Turkish protocols.
The envoy said they expected that the protocols would be ratified
resulting in the opening of the border and establishment of diplomatic
relations between the two countries. But the lack of progress is
disappointing, he said.
At the same time, the ambassador said, the US will continue support
Yerevan-Ankara reconciliation.
There are currently no diplomatic relations established between Turkey
and Armenia: official Ankara closed the border in 1993. The uneasy
relationship between the countries is caused particularly by Ankara's
support to Azerbaijan on Karabakh problem and Turkey's overreaction
to international recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman
Empire.
Some reconciliation in the relations started in autumn 2008 initiated
by Armenia's president Serzh Sargsyan. Foreign ministers of Armenia
and Turkey signed protocols about establishing diplomatic relations
in Zurich on October 10 2009 to be ratified by the parliaments. On
April 22 2010 Armenia's president Sargsyan suspended the ratification
process saying Turkey was not ready to continue the process.
Ratification of the protocols has been frozen. -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/us_ambassador_disappointed_with_lack_of_progress_i n_armenia_turkey_reconciliation/#sthash.VgZA4UZf.dpuf
From: Baghdasarian